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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Good cop Abbas in Lebanon: Peace is the only alternative |
| 2009-12-09 |
| [Ma'an] President Mahmoud Abbas spoke of the necessity for a return to negotiations with Israel where they last stalled, based on 1967 borders and in accordance with US President Barak Obama's administration, he said during a press conference in Lebanon on Tuesday. "There is no alternative for peace but peace itself," Abbas said, and further called for a settlement freeze as the first initiative to resuming the negotiations. He considered every stone on Palestinian land to be illegal, he added. Before Abbas ended his visit to Lebanon, he spoke of the history of negotiations since Oslo noting that "the negotiations are long," "But the Palestinians are determined on peace and pursuing with Palestinian elections is necessary to resolve the controversy and unify the Palestinian position so that there won't be exploitation or extortion." Moreover, Palestinian elections should be held in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Abbas said, reasserting that his decision not to run in the elections was "not a maneuver, but a stance which has its own reasons." The president further discussed the reconciliation document, placing great importance on bringing an end to Hamas-Fatah rivalry. With regard to the Goldstone report, Abbas denied that the PA initially rejected it, stating that Israel had done so before the Palestinian side. Concerning the Arab Initiative, Abbas expressed that it is "binding for all the Arab and Muslim countries, as it exist after failed attempts to overthrow it. This initiative is now a part of the UN decisions, particularly 1515." Additionally, Abbas lunched with Lebanese Prime Minister Sa'ad Hariri and discussed Arab and Palestinian issues. The Palestinian President is expected in Egypt later on Tuesday. |
| Posted by:Fred |