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MNeagle
2nd October 2010, 03:33 PM
By CHARLES LEVINSON

RAMALLAH, West Bank—Israeli-Palestinian peace talks appeared on the brink of collapse Saturday after the Palestinian leadership called for the suspension of negotiations until Israel halts building in Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

"The leadership confirms that the resumption of talks requires tangible steps, the first of them a freeze on settlements," said Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, after the three hour meeting of about 35 top ranking Palestinian officials, representing the leadership of both the Palestine Liberation Organization, an umbrella organization including most Palestinian political factions, and the Fatah Central Committee, the top decision making body of Mr. Abbas' party.

The Palestinian leadership holds Israel responsible for obstructing the negotiations," Mr. Abed Rabbo added.

The statement represents the bluntest and most unified position the Palestinian leadership has taken since a 10-month partial moratorium on Jewish settlement construction ended last week. Sources briefed on the closed-door deliberations said Palestinian officials from assorted factions voted unanimously in favor of the position in a rare display of Palestinian unity.

Still, Palestinian officials stopped short of announcing their withdrawal from all further talks. That final decision will likely be made only after a meeting of the Arab League planned for Friday in Libya.

In the meantime, White House peace envoy George Mitchell is pressing on with a regional tour in an attempt to broker a last minute agreement to save the talks. Mr. Mitchell left Israel for Egypt on Saturday following several days of talks with Palestinian and Israeli leaders that failed to produce a breakthrough.

Israeli officials appeared to hold out hope that a compromise was still possible to salvage the four-week old direct talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement late Saturday night calling on Mr. Abbas not to quit the peace talks.

"The way to achieve an historic peace agreement between our two nations is to sit around the negotiating table, seriously and continuously, and not to leave it, because that is the place where the divisions between us will be resolved," Mr. Netanyahu said.

But Mr. Netanyahu said nothing to suggest he might be willing to accept Palestinian demands that he extend the restrictions on building new settlements. Mr. Netanyahu pointed out that peace negotiations between the two sides have historically always continued despite ongoing construction in Jewish settlements.

Opposition leader Tzipi Livni, said in a statement that her centrist Kadima Party will support Mr. Netanyahu if he takes the necessary decisions to save the peace talks and his current pro-settlement coalition falls apart as a result.

"Netanyahu must choose to act in the real long-term interest of Israel than in his own personal political interest," Ms. Livni said.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703465504575528354112787256.html?m od=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLETopStories

Dogman
2nd October 2010, 03:45 PM
Go figure!

Israel has never wanted peace. They will not be happy until they occupied all of the land of
Palestine.

Don't you know they need the room to grow and have elbow room. That tribe does not
understand the word and concept of peace. Just look at the bible all their history they have
ether been at war or stirring up sh*t. They would not know what peace is even if it bit them
in the ass.