Abbas urges Israel, US, EU to negotiate on Palestinian state

PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT Mahmoud Abbas has said that Palestinians will turn to the UN General Assembly in September for recognition of a state based on the ceasefire lines of 1967 only if they have no alternative. He called on Israel, the US and EU to restart serious negotiations that would lead to the emergence of a Palestinian state.

He stated, however, “I cannot enter negotiations blindly, without guarantees or a freeze on settlements.” Israel’s refusal to halt settlement construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, land the Palestinians demand for their state, compelled him to refuse to return to negotiations last September in spite of strong pressure from US president Barack Obama who opposes the appeal to the UN for recognition of statehood.

Mr Abbas also insisted incumbent Salam Fayyad, an independent who has the confidence of the US and Europe, should serve as prime minister of the unity government scheduled to be announced yesterday by Mr Abbas and the Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mishaal.

Hamas opposes Mr Fayyad’s reappointment as it considers him a man of the West. However, Mr Abbas said that “despite Hamas’s opposition, Salam Fayyad will head the Palestinian transitional government. “If Hamas wins the [coming parliamentary] election, let it choose whomever it wants” to lead a full-term government.

“I want for there to be a government that pushes us forward and that will have achievements, not a government that will bring about [the imposition of] another siege” by Israel and the US.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri responded by saying Mr Abbas’s statement was an “unjustifiable media escalation” that will “harm the national interest and reconciliation efforts”.

Six weeks after the Egyptian-brokered reconciliation document was signed, Mr Abu Zuhri said Hamas, Fatah and all the other Palestinian parties were still waiting to form a unity government of “independent figures and technocrats” and said Mr Fayyad remains unacceptable to Hamas.

A poll showed 45 per cent of Palestinians backed Mr Fayyad in comparison with 22 per cent for Hamas candidate Jamal Khudari. Also 61 per cent of Palestinians wanted a unity government to follow the policies of Mr Abbas.