Abbas: We deal with US, not Israel
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
05/30/2010 10:25
PA president says Israelis are "no longer peace partners."
Mitchell with Erekat and Abbas Photo: Associated Press
The Palestinian
Authority considers the US administration, and not Israel, as its peace
partner, PA President Mahmoud Abbas was quoted as saying over the
weekend.
Abbas told US special envoy George Mitchell that the
Palestinians don’t believe that the government of Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu is a real peace partner, according to Abbas Zaki,
member of the Fatah Central Committee.
RELATED:
Obama,Abbas to discuss proximity talk progress next week
PM: No negotiations on land swap
“President Abbas told
Mitchell that the Israelis are no longer peace partners as much as the
Americans are,” Zaki told the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper.
Zaki added that Abbas asked Mitchell to present
Washington’s views about
peace and not to wait for Israeli proposals.
“The Palestinian Authority is negotiating with Washington and not with
Tel Aviv,” he said.
Abbas to brief Fatah, PLO on results
Zaki, the former Palestinian representative to Lebanon, said that the
proximity talks have so far dealt with the issues of security and
borders only. Abbas is expected this week to brief Fatah and PLO
leaders on the results of the negotiations, he added.
Abbas is also scheduled to brief the PLO and Fatah leaders on his
upcoming visit to Washington, where he will hold talks with President
Barack Obama on June 9.
Chief PA negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the proximity talks were
aimed at reaching agreement over final-status issues such as Jerusalem,
borders, water, security, settlements and prisoners.