- Title: WEST BANK: PLO welcome US invitation for talks
- Date: 21st August 2010
- Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (AUGUST 20, 2010) (REUTERS) ++NIGHT SHOTS++ EXTERIOR OF PALESTINIAN PRESIDENTIAL HEADQUARTERS AHEAD OF A PLO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING TO DISCUSS A US INVITATION FOR RESUMPTION OF DIRECT NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN PALESTINIANS AND ISRAEL PALESTINIAN FLAG PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS ARRIVING TO MEETING GUARDS (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) VARIOUS OF COMMITTEE MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ABBAS AID YASSER ABED RABBO SAYING: "In its latest statement, the Quartet declared its full commitment to its previous statements including its call to both sides to act in accordance with international law and abide by the road map. The Quartet also stressed that Israel should fully halt all its settlement activities and also declared that the international community would not acknowledge Israel's annexation of east Jerusalem. Based on all this we declare that we accept the invitation to launch direct talks." MEDIA CREWS PALESTINIAN CHIEF NEGOTIATOR SEABEE EREKAT ADDRESSING JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALESTINIAN CHIEF NEGOTIATOR SAEB EREKAT, SAYING: "The Quartet invited both parties to join the relaunch of direct talks. And we said this, it should be noted here that we hope that the Israeli government when presented the choice between settlements and peace, that they would choose peace. If for instance on the 26 of September the Israeli government will decide to introduce settlement tenders, I don't think we can continue the negotiations." SECURITY PERSONNEL EREKAT ADDRESSING MEDIA CREWS
- Embargoed: 5th September 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Reuters ID: LVA67GU840S4M4RKI1J9MMPBBJF4
- Story Text: Palestinian leaders said on Friday (August 20) they had accepted a U.S. invitation for face-to-face peace talks with Israel, clearing the way for the first direct talks since late 2008.
The PLO executive committee accepted the U.S. invitation to begin direct talks, senior PLO official Yasser Abed Rabbo said after an emergency meeting of the body in Ramallah.
"In its latest statement, the Quartet declared its full commitment to its previous statements including its call to both sides to act in accordance with international law and abide by the road map. The Quartet also stressed that Israel should fully halt all its settlement activities and also declared that the international community would not acknowledge Israel's annexation of east Jerusalem. Based on all this we declare that we accept the invitation to launch direct talks," Abed Rabbo said said after a meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's (PLO) executive committee in Ramallah.
Israel had already accepted the invitation issued earlier on Friday by the United States for a Sept. 2 start to direct negotiations between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat however said the Palestinians would pull out of the talks, due to start on Sept. 2, if the Israeli government announced any new settlement building on occupied land where the Palestinians aim to found their state.
"The Quartet invited both parties to join the relaunch of direct talks. And we said this, it should be noted here that we hope that the Israeli government when presented the choice between settlements and peace, that they would choose peace. If for instance on the 26 of September the Israeli government will decide to introduce settlement tenders, I don't think we can continue the negotiations," Erekat said.
He was referring to the date when a 10-month, Israeli freeze on settlement building in the West Bank is due to end.
Abbas had sought a full halt to Israeli settlement building before any direct negotiations with Netanyahu. He had also demanded a clear agenda for the talks -- demands which Palestinian critics said he failed to secure.
Abbas, by far the weaker party, said he had faced unprecedented international pressure to agree to direct talks.
U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell said on Friday that the parties would determine the terms of reference and basis for negotiations when they met.
ENDS. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
