Abbas Continues to Impose Preconditions for Negotiating with Israel
Ma’an News Agency and the Jerusalem Post report that during the current talks with US Secretary of State Kerry, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is still demanding preconditions to joining Israel for negotiations. Despite US President Obama’s urging Abbas to drop his preconditions, the PA continues to make negotiations contingent on Israeli acquiescence to prior demands, including:
a) halting all construction and renovation within the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem
b) immediately releasiing Palestinian prisoners held in Israel
c) submitting a map of the final borders
d) turning over parts of Area C, currently under Israeli security and civil control, to Palestinians
e) promising never to withhold Palestinian tax revenues for any reason in the future
According to Ma’an News Agency, the latter two conditions are “incentives” offered by US Secretary of State Kerry to the Palestinian leader to encourage him ” to return to direct negotiations with Israel.”
As President Obama stated during his recent visit to the region in March, “If the expectation is that we can only have direct negotiations when everything is settled ahead of time, then there is no point for negotiations…”
Indeed, with all the demands made of Israel prior to negotiating with Israel, what is left to negotiate? And will anyone in the mainstream take note?
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