Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said he is unhappy about the change in American policy toward settlement construction.
In an interview published Sunday by Der Spiegel, Abbas told the German magazine he would not change his position and would not agree to resuming negotiations unless Israel completely halts construction in West Bank settlements and recognizes the 1967 borders.
“These are not preconditions, but the first stages in realizing the
Road Map and they should have been taken long ago. Unlike Israel, we stood up
to our commitment – we recognized Israel’s right to exist and we are
combating violent groups. It is now Israel’s turn,” Abbas said.
Abbas
expressed his disappointment that as the president of the “strongest
country in the world,” Barack Obama was not doing more to pressure
Israel.
The PA president also revealed that he had an active
engagement with former prime minister Ehud Olmert, saying “we didn’t
reject his offer, he simply stepped down before we reached the final
part of the negotiations. His successor, Tzipi Livni, did not become
prime minister and that’s why we never reached an agreement.”
Abbas
said there was no point for him to run for president again, since “the
way to a diplomatic solution is blocked… but I urge the countries of
the world: don’t let the Palestinians descend to a state of utter
desperation.”
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