Abbas says he’s asked US to intervene in dispute with Israel over settlement restrictions
By APTuesday, September 7, 2010
Abbas asks US to step into settlement dispute
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he has asked the U.S. to settle a dispute with Israel over settlement expansion that is threatening to derail Mideast peace talks.
Israel’s 10-month partial freeze on new construction in West Bank settlements ends Sept. 26, and Israeli officials have indicated they will not extend the freeze as is. Abbas has said he’ll quit peace talks with Israel unless the restrictions remain in place.
Abbas said late Monday that he has asked the U.S. “to intervene in the settlement issue.”
The Obama administration has promised an active role in the talks, Abbas told reporters accompanying him on his way back from Washington, where direct negotiations were launched last week after a hiatus of nearly two years.
“The U.S. will be present at the negotiations, not necessarily behind closed doors, but (U.S. mediators) can be inside the room or outside,” Abbas said.
Settlements take up land the Palestinians want for a state, and Abbas views Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision on the freeze as a test of his intentions.
President Barack Obama wants Abbas and Netanyahu to agree on the main principles of a peace deal within a year, but gaps remain wide. In Washington, Netanyahu — who long opposed Palestinian statehood before accepting the idea last year — struck a conciliatory tone.
But in a message to the Israeli people on Tuesday before the Jewish New Year, Netanyahu said the negotiations’ success, while desired, “was not assured.”
Abbas and Netanyahu will meet twice next week, first in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik and then in Jerusalem. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will attend the Jerusalem meeting.
The Israelis are negotiating with Abbas, who has limited governing power in the West Bank under Israel’s overall security control. The Gaza Strip, located on the other side of Israel, is controlled by Abbas’ rivals, the Islamic militants of Hamas, who do not recognize Israel and reject negotiations. Clashes and rocket fire are common along the Gaza-Israel border.
On Tuesday, Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a rocket into Israel. No one was hurt.
Associated Press writer Harold Heckle contributed to this report from Madrid.
Tags: Barack Obama, Gaza Strip, International Agreements, International Incidents, Israel, Jerusalem, Middle East, North America, Palestinian Territories, Ramallah, Territorial Disputes, United States, West Bank
