GAZA CITY, 25 March 2006 — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas disclosed in an interview published yesterday that he had suggested during talks with the United States that Israel and Palestinians open secret negotiations.
In the interview with the Israeli Haaretz daily at his Ramallah headquarters on Wednesday, Abbas said a peace deal to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could be achieved within a year.
Israeli leaders immediately shot down the idea.
“I proposed to (former Israeli Premier Shimon) Peres and the Americans to open back channel talks, far from the spotlight. And I am convinced that within less than a year, we will be able to sign an agreement.” Abbas said.
The president mooted the idea in a meeting with Peres in Jordan two weeks ago.
“We are in a historic period, in which we must decide whether we will move toward peace and a better future for our children. I can promise that you have a partner for this peace and on the day after the elections you will find us ready to sit in negotiations with no prior conditions,” he said. He was referring to Israeli general elections scheduled for March 28.
Abbas said: “We have the right to live in an independent state with the 1967 borders, without fences, without settlements and without military attacks. Not a day passes without a funeral here, without people being wounded and without arrests.”
Abbas said the Hamas government would not stop him from negotiating with Israel and if there is an agreement to sign, he will be the one to sign it.
“Negations with Israel will be conducted by the PLO’s negotiations unit, on the basis of international legitimacy and the Arab initiative. If we reach an agreement, I will be the one to sign it. If needed, I will put it to a referendum. I received 62 percent of votes in the (presidential) elections, in which I condemned violence. I am sure that I will also succeed in getting a majority for peace agreement.”
Interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called Abbas a failed leader, casting doubt on prospects for negotiations with him once Hamas takes over the government.
In an interview with the YNETnews website, Olmert said he has had “friendly” relations with Abbas, but added: “I cannot base (Israel’s) relations with the Palestinian Authority on the sympathy that I might have for a particular individual.”
“He (Abbas) has failed in the biggest challenge which faced him from the very outset: to combat terror. As a result of the failure of his government, Hamas has risen,” said Olmert, whose centrist Kadima party is expected to win the upcoming election.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev questioned whether Abbas had the ability to deliver an agreement since Hamas would be leading the government.
“Real political power in the Palestinian Authority is no longer in the hands of Abbas and his colleagues, but has been transferred to Hamas,” Regev said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has publicly called Abbas irrelevant.
Olmert is threatening to bypass Abbas with unilateral moves to consolidate settlements and draw a final border with the Palestinians. “We have to solve the problems ourselves, not to become a hostage to the Palestinians and decide when things happen and what will happen,” Olmert told Israeli Channel 10 TV in an interview on Wednesday.
