“These are not our preconditions,” the president told reporters here after talks with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. “These two points have been mentioned in international resolutions.”
He said the United States has also urged Israel to halt settlements based on international resolutions. He also pointed out that the road map had called for Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 border.
“So, we are not putting any preconditions before the direct talks but are asking Israel to implement international resolutions and agreements regarding these two important topics,” he explained.
He said the Palestinian Authority has no objection to take part in direct talks so long as Israel agrees to these two important points: stop settlements and consider the 1967 border as the basis for talks.
Abbas said the United States would take part in the upcoming talks. “They will be present inside or outside the room and will give their views and ideas in order to narrow differences between the two sides.”
He commended King Abdullah’s efforts to unify Arab ranks and mobilize international support for the Palestinian cause.
“We are happy over the Kingdom’s full support of the Palestinian issue. There are no differences of opinion amongst us,” he pointed out. “King Abdullah’s recent tour was successful and its results will appear soon,” he said while answering a question.
King Abdullah’s seven-nation tour took him to Canada, the US, Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
He expressed his hope that the upcoming direct negotiations would help reach a settlement on major issues. “We want to establish an independent state that will live peacefully with the Israelis.”
President Abbas spoke about his recent efforts to mobilize Israeli public support in favor of the Palestinian cause by distributing copies of the Arab peace initiative among the Israeli media and public. He also met with Israeli lobbyists in the US and answered their questions.
He said the final status negotiations would focus on issues such as Jerusalem, settlements, border, security and refugees. “Although we have held several talks with the Israelis during the past eight months, we have not reached any agreements. But we have learned what is their stand on various issues such as Jerusalem, refugees and borders,” he explained.
He said the Palestinian leadership has been holding intensive talks with various Arab countries to take a joint stand on various issues before the upcoming direct negotiations. “My present visit to the Kingdom comes within that framework,” he said.
