Abbas says peace deal in six months 'if Israel freezes colonies'

Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday that a peace deal with Israel could be reached within six months if Israel freezes Jewish colony construction during that period.

In an interview published in the Israeli daily Ha'aretz newspaper, Abbas said he telephoned Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak three weeks ago and proposed that Israel totally freeze colony construction for six months to enable the Palestinians to return to the negotiations and perhaps reach a deal within that time.

"I spoke with Defence Minister Ehud Barak twice over recent weeks," Abbas told Ha'aretz.

"I suggested to him three weeks ago that Israel freeze all [colony] construction for six months, including in [occupied] East Jerusalem, without declaring it, just carrying it out in practice. I want to emphasise: without even declaring [the freeze]. But I demanded a complete freeze of [colony] construction," he said.

"There are enough construction inspectors in the area. During this time, we can return to the negotiating table and perhaps even achieve a final-status agreement. I have yet to receive an answer," Abbas said.

There was no Israeli response to Abbas' proposal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had rejected US pressure to totally halt colony building in occupied West Bank land, including occupied Arab East Jerusalem ahead of final status peace talks stalled since last year.

Netanyahu said he would adhere to a 10-month partial and temporary freeze of colonies. He excluded occupied Jerusalem, 3,000 housing units already in construction and has approved a national spending plan for colonies.

Two demands

In a speech to members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's Central Council meeting in Ramallah, Abbas reaffirmed his rejection to return to negotiations unless Israel brought building of colonies to a complete halt, and when Israel approves the borders of the Palestinians state to be the pre-1967 war lines, the West Bank including occupied East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

"We will return to the negotiations after we satisfy two demands: a complete halt to settlements [colonies] and clear terms of reference for the peace talks," Abbas said in a speech in his Muqata headquarters in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

"Yes, we will return to the negotiations but based on these terms. Netanyahu's recent decision is not a freeze on colonies. When colonies are completely stopped for a certain period of time and when Netanyahu accepts international legitimacy, we will not object to the resumption of talks," he said.

The PLO's Central Council, the highest legislative PLO body at its two-day meeting yesterday in Ramallah extended the term of Abbas and the Palestinian Legislative Council. The extension decision came after the failure of an agreement between the PLO and Hamas.

Legal vacuum

Hamas has refused to sign an Egyptian-mediated document that calls for holding elections on June 28, 2010 and for taking steps to end the Islamist group's control over Gaza.

Hamas violently took over Gaza Strip from Abbas in June 2007. Since then, parliamentary activities have almost been paralysed and the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) did not convene. The PLC's four-year term ends in January and Abbas' tenure also expires in January.

Fears of a legal vacuum have prompted the PLO to convene the Central Council to ask Abbas to stay in office and decide the extension of all Palestinian National Authority institutions, including the Hamas-dominated PLC. The PLC proposed holding election by July 1 to give Hamas a chance to sign the Egyptian compromise paper and hold the vote on June 28.

Wafa Amr is a journalist based in Ramallah

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