WEST BANK: Chief Palestinian negotiator says Israel cannot have settlements and peace

Record ID: 562489

  • Title: WEST BANK: Chief Palestinian negotiator says Israel cannot have settlements and peace
  • Date: 2nd July 2009
  • Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (JULY 1, 2009) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF PALESTINIAN PRESIDENTIAL COMPOUND CLOSE OF PALESTINIAN SECURITY VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MEETING WITH EU ENVOY MARC OTTE OFFICIALS AT MEETING PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR SAEB EREKAT AND EU ENVOY MARC OTTE WALKING TOWARD MICROPHONES (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR SAEB EREKAT, SAYING: "The United States and the other members of the quartet international quartet, must have the Israeli government comply with it's obligations, especially stopping settlement activity including natural grow. Without this what being under mind, what being destroyed is the two state solutions. So it's as we always said it's either settlements or peace. Israel cannot have both." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN UNION ENVOY MARC OTTE, SAYING: "Settlements in the view of Europe are illegal under international law. there are also an obstacle to peace therefore Israel must decide what they want, peace or settlements. There is no compatibility between two." PALESTINIAN FLAG EREKAT AND OTTE WALKING AWAY PALESTINIAN FLAGS EXTERIOR OF PRESIDENTIAL COMPOUND EFRAT, WEST BANK (JUNE 14, 2009) (REUTERS) JEWISH SETTLEMENT NEAR BETHLEHEM VARIOUS OF CONSTRUCTION INSIDE SETTLEMENT WIDE OF SETTLEMENT
  • Embargoed: 17th July 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA97X5XUYZRGX512MQNWW9UMZ5D
  • Story Text: Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat says that Israel cannot have both settlements and peace, in response to Israeli Defence Minister Barak's remark that the Jewish state won't agree to a "total freeze" of West Bank settlements.
    Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Wednesday (July 1) that "settlements or Peace. Israel cannot have both," in response to Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak's remark that the Jewish state will not agree to a total freeze of West Bank settlement activity.
    "The United States and the other members of the quartet international quartet, must have the Israeli government comply with it's obligations, especially stopping settlement activity including natural grow. Without this what being under mind, what being destroyed is the two state solutions. So it's as we always said it's either settlements or peace. Israel cannot have both," Erekat said in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after a meeting with the EU Middle East envoy Marc Otte.
    "Settlements in the view of Europe are illegal under international law. there are also an obstacle to peace therefore Israel must decide what they want, peace or settlements. There is no compatibility between two," Otte added.
    Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak was quoted as saying on Wednesday that Israel was close to an understanding with Washington on Jewish settlements, but ruled out a total freeze.
    In an Israel Radio interview to be aired later in the day, Barak said Israel was insisting on completing construction projects already under way in settlements in the West Bank, the state-owned broadcaster reported on its web site.
    Barak held talks in New York on Tuesday with U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell in a bid to end a rare rift between Israel and its main ally on the settlement issue.
    The radio quoted him as saying that Israel was now nearing an understanding with the United States, which has called for a complete halt to settlement activity.
    Barak told reporters in New York that the meeting with Mitchell, which lasted more than four hours, was "positive" but there were still "differences".
    In a joint statement issued after their talks, Barak and Mitchell said they had discussed the full range of issues related to Middle East peace and security. The statement said the discussions were constructive and would soon continue.
    Asked by reporters whether Israel would declare a temporary settlement building freeze, Barak said: "I think that it's a little bit too early to predict.
    "We are considering every positive contribution Israel can make towards the taking off of a significant important peace effort," he said.
    Mitchell, who posed for photographers at the start of the meeting in a New York hotel, did not take questions.
    Israel's biggest newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Sunday that Barak would propose a three-month halt to construction starts in settlements but allow current building work to continue.
    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said U.S.-backed peace talks with Israel could not resume until it froze settlement.
    Barak told reporters that a meeting between Mitchell and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was being arranged in the next one to three weeks.
    The two had planned a meeting in Paris last Thursday but it was put off by Israel, which said it needed more time to prepare. Netanyahu has said he would allow some construction to continue to match population growth within existing settlements.
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