Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the
Palestinian Authority’s peace plan covers all the core issues of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Erekat told Israel’s Army Radio that the proposal is the
best to date and includes issues such as borders, Jerusalem, refugees, water
and security. "We presented the proposal to (US Middle East envoy) George
Mitchell over two months ago. We gave him maps and papers that clearly state
our positions on all the final-status issues so that he would offer it to
(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu. However we still haven't received
any answer."
"I hope that Netanyahu will be a partner in peace so
that we can reach a solution involving two states for two nations," Erekat
added.
He denied that US President Barack Obama has told
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that relations between the US and
Palestinians will be affected if the latter refuse to engage in direct talks
with Israel. "The letter did not contain threats, he requested that we
enter into direct talks and stand shoulder to shoulder so that we can reach a
two state solution," Erekat said, referring to a letter Obama sent Abbas.
According to Erekat, "Obama explained that his role
would be less if we don't take his recommendation to start direct talks."
He stressed that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is still in daily contact with
the US administration.
Senior Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official
Hanan Ashrawi also denied the report that was carried by Israeli daily Haaretz.
In its report, Haaretz quoted Ashrawi as saying in an interview with the
London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper that the United States threatened to
break off ties with Abbas and the Palestinian Authority unless the Palestinian
president agreed to return to face-to-face peace negotiations with Israel.
She said the Obama administration had ramped up pressure
on PA to move from American-mediated talks to direct negotiations with
Netanyahu.
"There has been huge pressure on the Palestinian
Authority to move to direct talks," Ashrawi reportedly said. "They
even threatened to isolate the Palestinians and cut off relations," she
was quoted as saying.
Netanyahu announced at a ministerial meeting Sunday that
direct negotiations with the Palestinians will begin by the middle of August.
"In recent weeks I have held talks with foreign
leaders, which have reached one goal: A more convenient environment for
launching direct talks with the Palestinians," Netanyahu said.
"I call on Abu Mazen (Abbas) to launch peace talks
and accept the international community's call, while maintaining security
arrangements as a basic condition," he added.
