Dubai: An announcement from the Palestinian leadership is expected imminently on its crucial decision on whether or not to revive direct talks with the Israelis — an issue that has been the focal point of debate in Palestinian political circles recently.

Azzam Al Ahmad, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, told Gulf News that Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas, who also heads Fatah, was expected to make the announcement after his scheduled meeting with David Hill, the assistant to US President Barack Obama's special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell, in Ramallah on Sunday night.

"If the American position meets the Palestinian and Arab demands, then we will say yes to face-to-face talks," said Al Ahmad, who is also the head of Fatah's parliamentary bloc.

Conditions

The Palestinians have demanded a clear American and Israeli commitment to "the two-state-solution on the basis of the June 4, 1967 borders, and secondly a total freeze to Israel's colony-building activities in all the Palestinian lands including occupied East Jerusalem," Al Ahmad added.

He said Hill was expected to submit, along with the American response, a copy of the statement from the Quartet, which consists of the US plus the European Union, the United Nations and Russia.

The Palestinians have called for the Quartet to issue a new directive similar to its March 19 statement, which called on Israel to halt all colony construction and for the two sides to resume final status talks with the goal of reaching a peace deal in 24 months.

But many Palestinian politicians and analysts earlier expressed their doubts that the current Israeli right-wing government would show any readiness to make what its extremist members describe as "concessions" to the Palestinians.

"We don't need another statement," one analyst said.

"The focal issue is the content of the negotiations" and nothing else, another political expert said in response to reports detailing the ceremony that was expected to accompany the revival of direct talks.

‘Stormy' debate

Some reports described the Palestinian debate over reviving direct talks as "stormy", and added that among the possible options for Abbas was to dissolve the Palestinian National Authority.

Al Ahmad, however, ridiculed these reports.

"I challenge anybody who said there was one stormy session [to provide evidence supporting their account]," he told Gulf News.

"The PNA can't dissolve itself; the PNA could collapse in the event that the peace talks collapse and cause chaos."