Palestinians differ on AL's nod on indirect talks with Israel
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The Palestinian political leaders were divided over the Arab League (AL)'s decision made in Cairo on Wednesday, which agreed on a U.S. proposal to hold indirect peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians within four months.
Right after the decision was made at the end of a meeting of the Arab Peace Initiative Follow-up Committee in Cairo attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a senior Palestinian National Authority (PNA) official said the PNA is set to accept the U.S. proposal for indirect talks.
Shortly after Abbas left Cairo following a three-day visit to Egypt, his spokesman Nabil Abu Rdineh told Xinhua that Abbas reviewed a statement that the AL would issue later Wednesday on the U.S. offer, and they "found that it is acceptable to the PNA and the Arab states."
Another Palestinian official said that the AL's ministerial committee, which met in Cairo Tuesday to decide on the Israeli- Palestinian indirect negotiations, accepted the offer and decided to give Washington four months to mediate the talks.
"When the four months are over, the Arab League committee would meet again to assess if a progress is made or not," said Tayser Jaradat, a member of the Palestinian delegation to the AL's meeting.
The U.S. government suggested indirect talks through its Middle East envoy George Mitchell to revive the peace talks.
The Israeli-Palestinian direct negotiations stopped in December 2008 when Israel launched a military campaign on the Hamas- controlled Gaza Strip. Abbas insists that Israel must stop Jewish settlement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem before restarting talks.
Mitchell, who met with Abbas earlier last month, proposed a four-month indirect peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians sponsored by U.S. administration. Abbas had asked for guarantees that Israel would be committed to the outcomes of the talks.
Meanwhile, Islamic Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, on Wednesday slammed the Arab League (AL) for agreeing on a U.S. offer to hold indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Hamas basically rejects any direct peace talks with Israel.
"This decision could give a cover to the (Israeli) occupation to go ahead with its projects to Judaize Jerusalem and the Islamic shrines," said Taher Al-Nounou, spokesman for the deposed Hamas government in Gaza, adding "It doesn't represent the Palestinian people, so we reject them."
Azzam al-Ahmad, member of Abbas Fatah party's central committee, who accompanied Abbas in his visit to Egypt, told Xinhua on telephone that Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Fatah central committee will convene on Saturday and Sunday to give a final answer to the AL decision.
"During the Arab League committee meeting held in Cairo on Tuesday and Wednesday, President Abbas previewed the U.S. proposal, " al-Ahmad said, adding "Abbas also discussed with the committee the idea of giving the U.S. another chance and also its ability to make decisions."
Al-Ahmad revealed that the U.S. peace envoy George Mitchell will arrive in the region on Monday next week to receive the Palestinian response to the U.S. proposal on launching indirect peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the deposed prime minister of Hamas government in Gaza Ismail Haneya said on Wednesday that the AL Committee "has to review" its decision which agreed upon a U.S. proposal over launching indirect peace negotiations with Israel for four months.
Haneya told a meeting of the Hamas lawmakers in Gaza "We call on the Arab League Committee to review its decision and withdraw it," adding "the government will never give a green light for either direct or indirect talks as Israel continues its attacks on Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque."
"The decision of the Arab League Committee goes in a deteriorated way towards returning to absurd negotiations," Haneya said.
