WEST BANK: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas moves to join international agencies, jeopardises peace talks

Record ID: 565208

  • Title: WEST BANK: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas moves to join international agencies, jeopardises peace talks
  • Date: 1st April 2014
  • Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (APRIL 1, 2014) (REUTERS) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT, MAHMOUD ABBAS, SPEAKING TO PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT, MAHMOUD ABBAS, SAYING: "The The leadership agreed totally on signing a number of the (international) agreements or organizations or conventions, which are around 12 conventions, and now I will sign them." VARIOUS OF ABBAS SIGNING THE CONVENTIONS FATAH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT, MAHMOUD ABBAS, SAYING: "We will continue in our efforts to reach a peaceful solution through the negotiations. The solution that gives us a state on 1967 as borders and Jerusalem as a capital as well as a fair solution, that is agreed on, to the refugees case according to the united nations decision number 194. This is exactly what we need to establish and live in Palestinian state next to Israel in peace and safety. Will not change our policy and will not change our behaviour this is our position. Also we appreciate the Americans' efforts and we thank them and we will continue in these efforts as from tonight, we have no problem." MEMBERS OF FATAH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
  • Embargoed: 16th April 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8ESBAXF3JUEI437ZC2KQXNOPD
  • Story Text: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed more than a dozen international conventions on Tuesday (April 1) citing anger at Israel's delay of a prisoner release, in a move that may jeopardise feverish U.S. efforts to salvage fragile peace talks.
    Abbas had pledged he would not approach the United Nations during the nine month period U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry envisaged for negotiations resumed under his tutelage in July.
    Israel had promised in exchange to free more than 100 prisoners by the end of March, but failed to release 26 by that date, while demanding Abbas guarantee the negotiations would go on past the April 29 deadline Kerry had set.
    In his remarks to Palestinian leaders in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Abbas made clear he was not abandoning negotiations with Israel, but blasted Israel's delay in freeing prisoners.
    "The The leadership agreed totally on signing a number of the (International) agreements or organizations or conventions, which are around 12 conventions, and now I will sign them," said Abbas.
    Abbas charged he had agreed to a nine month deadline for Israel to free the prisoners, many of whom have been jailed since before a 1993 interim peace deal with Israel.
    A Palestinian official said Abbas would go ahead with plans to meet on Wednesday with Kerry expected back for a second shuttle to the region in a three-day period, in a frenzied search of a deal to keep the flailing negotiations going.
    "We will continue in our efforts to reach a peaceful solution through the negotiations. The solution that gives us a state on 1967 as borders and Jerusalem as a capital as well as a fair solution, that is agreed on, to the refugees case according to the united nations decision number 194. This is exactly what we need to establish and live in Palestinian state next to Israel in peace and safety. Will not change our policy and will not change our behaviour this is our position. Also we appreciate the Americans' efforts and we thank them and we will continue in these efforts as from tonight, we have no problem," added Abbas.
    The official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, insisted Abbas was not abandoning negotiations with Israel.
    Late on Tuesday U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called off a meeting with Abbas in Ramallah for last-minute talks on extending peace talks with Israel, a senior State Department official said.
    The issue of Palestinians jailed by Israel is an emotive one in Palestinian society, and freedom for the inmates helps boost Palestinian support for Abbas's peaceseeking efforts against popular Islamist groups opposed to reconciling with Israel
    For Netanyahu the prisoner release is a difficult step politically, with far-right coalition partners angry at setting free inmates convicted of committing lethal attacks.
    Some members of Israel's cabinet have hinted they may quit if more than a dozen Israeli Arab citizens on Abbas' list go free seeing the demand they be released as undermining Israeli authority over its Palestinian Arab citizens.
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