Abbas set to pull out of peace talks at weekend

THE PALESTINIAN leadership is expected to decide tomorrow to pull out of negotiations with Israel if it does not reinstate a partial freeze on new settlement construction in the West Bank.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and senior figures in his Fatah movement are set to take this decision after consulting with a dozen other factions belonging to the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO).

PLO official Hanna Amireh said Palestinians will reject a return to talks unless the freeze is extended.

“The consensus is that since the entire world is in favour of a Palestinian state and against settlements, then let us throw this problem in the face of the world and see what [its leaders] can do about [halting construction].”

Mr Abbas and other senior Palestinian figures have repeatedly warned that they would not continue with the talks, resumed on September 2nd, if Israel did not renew the freeze on settlement construction that expired last Sunday.

Construction began immediately in at least eight settlements across the West Bank, including Har Gilo, which is strategically situated between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Following discussions with Mr Abbas in Ramallah, US envoy George Mitchell said: “We will continue our attempts to find common ground,” indicating that Washington had not yet been able to find a formula that would allow Mr Abbas to return to negotiations.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met Mr Mitchell yesterday and is scheduled to hold talks with Mr Abbas today. The Palestinian president may also have a second meeting with Mr Mitchell,who said yesterday: “We think . . . it’s in the United States’ interest and indeed the interests of people around the world that this conflict be brought to an end.”

US president Barack Obama has reportedly offered Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu a package of incentives to renew the freeze for two months. It is reported that these include a pledge to demand no further extensions of the freeze; an agreement to back Israel’s security demands in any final deal; a promise to increase Israel’s $3 billion in annual military aid; and a commitment to provide Israel with state-of-the art weaponry.

The package is said to have been put together by Israeli defence minister Ehud Barack and Dennis Ross, a former US negotiator. Mr Netanyahu has not accepted it.

There is also concern among Palestinians that some of the items proposed by Mr Obama could eventually be rejected by their side.

The Arab League committee, set to endorse the Palestinian decision, has postponed Monday’s meeting with Mr Abbas until Wednesday with the aim of giving the US and EU time to persuade Mr Netanyahu to agree to extend the freeze on construction.