Ramallah: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that the Palestinians have seven consecutive options to handle the current impasse of the negotiations.
He was speaking at a joint press conference with Ahmad Abu Al Gheit, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs at Al Muqata’a in Ramallah.
“We have seven options to handle the current situation, but we will not jump on stages and will not disturb our options,” he said. “Our first option is to return to the direct negotiations after Israel halts all colony activities and the second is speaking to the Americans to recognize a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and later approaching the Security Council along with other options agreed with the Arabs,” he said.
“We demand total halt of the colony activities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem should the Palestinians return to the direct negotiations with Israel,” he said. “This Palestinian stand is supported by the various Palestinian factions and the Arabs to ensure the Israelis have a real and honest intention to resolve the Palestinian cause,” he added.
President Abbas said that the Israelis have been issuing approvals for new housing units in the West Bank and Jerusalem. “We do not accept to be put under the ‘matter of fact’ strategy,” he said.
President Abbas strongly condemned the actions of the colonists especially with their attacks on the olive trees and the Palestinian farmers during their harvest. “We have raised the violent attacks of the Israeli colonists with the international community but there have been no response especially with the fact that the colonists commit their crimes under the protection of the Israeli army,” he said.
“Security is perfect in the West Bank with witnessed economic development and the residents of the West Bank are living a normal life with a solid hope to reach independence,” he said. “This is the hope of the Palestinian people,” he added.
Abu Al Gheit said Egypt urges the EU to open up the way for more involvement and even to surpass the US. “This is the Egyptian all the time request from the EU to open up the way and to go even beyond the attitudes of the US,” he said. “We had held several meetings with top EU officials and urged them to move forward with the peace process and get more involvement,” he said.
“We are consulting with the Palestinian Authority which we strongly support for the future measures in the way of reaching peace and what to do with the US and the Arab League Peace Process Follow Up Committee,” he said.
“We should keep all our options open and keep accurate judgment and avoid jumping to achieve the goals,” he said.
“We have contacts with the Israelis aiming at fulfilling the Palestinian demand of halting the colony activities,” he said.
In line with the US, Abu Al Gheit said that “we are not talking with the Americans about the options the Palestinians will take,” he said. “We are trying to get an Israeli position that allows that the negotiations to resume at this point of time,” he added.
Abu Al Gheit said that Uzi Arad visited Cairo and held meetings with the Egyptian officials but “we have not reached a conclusion or what can be done or what can be expected in the days to come,” he said. “We are still working with the Israelis and the Americans but so far the wanted breakthrough has not been reached,” he said.
