Decision to freeze settlement would decide Mideast talks' fate
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The second round of the U.S.- sponsored Israeli-Palestinian direct peace negotiations will be held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday amid doubts of success two weeks before the 10-month Israeli moratorium of freezing settlement ends.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are heading the teams of the negotiations, where U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the U.S. peace envoy George Mitchell will attend. Abbas and Netanyahu will meet again in Jerusalem the following day.
The Palestinians are following up with great concerns the direct peace talks and the Israeli government's decision related to the partial freezing of settlement construction in the West Bank. The 10-month Israeli moratorium of freezing settlement would end on Sept. 26.
Peace, settlement can never meet
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Xinhua that the Palestinian side has clearly informed the U.S. administration and the other international parties that "Israel can never mix between settlement's constructions in the Palestinian territories and achieving peace in the region."
Erekat, who was assigned to chair the Palestinian negotiations team, has threatened to withdraw from the negotiations in case Israel decides not to freeze settlement construction, adding that "it would be considered an Israeli neglect of its commitments."
On Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama called for extending the 10-month Israeli moratorium of freezing settlement construction, which ends on Sept. 26. He reiterated that his administration would keep its commitment towards succeeding the new direct peace negotiations.
According to Israel Radio, Israeli sources rejected to continue with the moratorium, adding that Obama knows very well that extending the moratorium "is impossible, because when the decision was taken, it was a goodwill gesture made by the government to encourage resuming the talks."
The sources said that Obama's statements can be understood that he calls on the Palestinians not to withdraw from the direct negotiations even if disputes over continuation of settlement construction in the Palestinian territories had mounted. Right- wing groups said they oppose the extension of the moratorium.
In a letter he addressed to the Israelis, Netanyahu had earlier expressed doubts towards the future of the Middle East peace process with the Palestinians, adding "there is nothing that can guarantee the success of the new round of the direct talks due to having many obstacles."
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