The Israeli leadership will be fully responsible for the failure of U.S. mediated Israeli-Palestinian peace talks if they come to a halt due to resumed settlement construction in the occupied territories, PNA leader Mahmoud Abbas said.
Israeli and Palestinian authorities have agreed to resume direct talks for the first time in 20 months. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had been invited to Washington on September 2 to start the talks. Russian, EU and U.S. officials will also attend.
"Our attitude toward settlement construction, its legitimacy and expansion remains unchanged," Abbas said.
"I should say today, plainly and openly, that before agreeing to take part in the negotiations, we had informed all the sides, including the U.S. mediator, that the Israeli government will be fully responsible if negotiations fail amid further expansion of settlements in all forms and at all parts of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967," the Palestinian leader said.
He expressed hope that the Israeli side will be able to "make landmark and responsible decisions to stop the occupation [of the West Bank and Arab-populated quarters of Jerusalem] and to provide real security for the Israelis and the Palestinians."
The talks, to be held on September 2 in Washington, will focus on the status of Jerusalem, as well as on the issues of refugees, borders, settlement construction, security, water resources and the release of Palestinian refugees from Israeli prisons.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Palestinian president and Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a BBC interview that PNA rejects the Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's calls for fortnightly face-to-face meetings.
He said that "it is too early to define, who will meet, as well as where and how often such meetings will take place."
"It would all be discussed in Washington, in addition to the agenda of the talks, schedule, and the extension of settlement construction freeze [to end on September 26]," the Palestinian official said.
GAZA, August 30 (RIA Novosti)
