- Title: VARIOUS: Palestinians and Israelis react to Arab League agreement to direct talks
- Date: 30th July 2010
- Summary: HEBRON, WEST BANK (JULY 29, 2010) (REUTERS) CARS DRIVING BY IN ROAD PEOPLE CROSSING STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEBRON RESIDENT MAHMOUD AL RAWASHDE SAYING: "If there is an Arab agreement based on American guarantees - this could be acceptable." PEOPLE IN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEBRON RESIDENT ABDEL WAHAB AL ZATARI SAYING: "It would have been better if there was a complete freeze in settlements before entering direct negotiations with the Israelis." CARS DRIVING RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (JULY 29, 2010) (REUTERS) GEORGE GIACAMAN POLITICAL ANALYST WALKING OUT OF HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (English) GEORGE GIACAMAN POLITICAL ANALYST SAYING: "The Palestinian Authority is now under considerable pressure, first of all from the part of the United States and also from some degree from Arab countries who themselves are under pressure by the U.S. It is a very difficult position and it is not clear which way it might go, I think if they find a face saving formula it may be possible that it may go to direct negotiations." CLOSEUP OF HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) GEORGE GIACAMAN POLITICAL ANALYST SAYING: "Well you have to keep in mind that the time frame for indirect negotiationstowards the end of September, so there is about almost six weeks between now and then, so there is enough time to try to work out a diplomatic solution if one is possible and I think most likely Qatar will try to work out the solution to the extent that the American administration is amenable to give guarantees to the Palestinian Authority." GAZA CITY, GAZA (JULY 29, 2010) (REUTERS) HAMAS SPOKESPERSON SAMI ABU ZUHRI SITTING AT DESK MORE OF ZUHRI (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HAMAS SPOKESPERSON SAMI ABU ZUHRI SAYING: "Hamas movement rejects any call for a resumption in talks with the Israeli occupation. And any Arab cover for Mahmoud Abbas to resume the negotiations is a big political mistake, that the Palestinian people will not accept." JERUSALEM (JULY 29, 2010) (REUTERS) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER SPOKESMAN MARK REGEV WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER SPOKESMAN MARK REGEV, SAYING: "The government of Israel has been consistently calling to start direct peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Now we hope that will be possible in the coming days. Ultimately only through direct talks, face-to-face negotiations, will it be possible to bring peace between the two peoples."
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- Story Text: Palestinians say conditions are not right yet for direct negotiations after Arab League agrees in principle to face-to-face peace negotiations and Israel calls on Abbas to start talks.
Palestinians in the West Bank voiced little hope on Thursday (July 29) of a major breakthrough after the Arab League said it approved of face-to-face negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, but that it was up to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to decide if the conditions were ripe.
Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said there was an Arab League agreement over the principles of what would be discussed in direct negotiations and that it would be up to President Abbas to decide whether to hold talks, based on whatever conditions he sees fit.
In the West Bank city of Hebron, one resident, Mahmoud Al Rawashde said he thought U.S. guarantees were necessary to start direct negotiations.
"If there is an Arab agreement based on American guarantees - this could be acceptable," he told Reuters.
Abdel Wahab Al Zatari, another Hebron resident, said Israel must stop all settlement activity first.
"It would have been better if there was a complete freeze in settlements before entering direct negotiations with the Israelis," Al Zatari said.
U.S. President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, has been mediating indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians for over two months. Obama has voiced hope that direct negotiations would begin by September, when a four-month timeframe set by the Arab League for the indirect talks expires.
Political analyst George Giacman said he thought it may be possible to start direct talks.
"The Palestinian Authority is now under considerable pressure, first of all from the part of the United States and also from some degree from Arab countries who themselves are under pressure by the U.S. It is a very difficult position and it is not clear which way it might go, I think if they find a face saving formula it may be possible that it may go to direct negotiations," he said in an interview with Reuters in Ramallah.
"You have to keep in mind that the time frame for indirect negotiationstowards the end of September, so there is about almost six weeks between now and then, so there is enough time to try to work out a diplomatic solution if one is possible and I think most likely Qatar will try to work out the solution to the extent that the American administration is amenable to give guarantees to the Palestinian Authority," he added.
The Islamist Hamas rulers of Gaza --who seized control of the strip from Abbas' Fatah movement-- reject Peace with Israel.
"Hamas movement rejects any call for a resumption in talks with the Israeli occupation. And any Arab cover for Mahmoud Abbas to resume the negotiations is a big political mistake, that the Palestinian people will not accept," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said in Gaza City.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Says he wants direct talks to start as soon as possible.
"The government of Israel has been consistently calling to start direct peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Now we hope that will be possible in the coming days. Ultimately only through direct talks, face-to-face negotiations, will it be possible to bring peace between the two peoples," Mark Regev, a spokesman for Netanyahu said.
Abbas has said that before any move to direct talks, he wants the indirect talks to make progress, specifically on the issues of the security and borders of the Palestinian state he aims to found.
Abbas wants Israel to agree to the idea of a third party guarding the borders of a future Palestinian state before direct talks can begin. He also wants Israel to agree in principle to a land swap that would compensate Palestinians for West Bank land taken up by Jewish settlements, some of which would be annexed to Israel under a future peace agreement.
Israel has not ruled out any issues for discussion but has said they can be resolved only through direct talks. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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