Palestinian official says Obama didn't ask to resume Mideast talks

RAMALLAH, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The United States President Barack Obama didn't ask the Palestinian side for resuming the peace talks with Israel, a senior Palestinian official said Monday.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Xinhua on telephone that the Palestinian side hasn't received any official offer or proposal from anybody to resume peace negotiations with Israel.

The direct peace talks between the two sides had been suspended since October 2010 after the Palestinians insisted that they won't resume the talks until Israel freezes settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

"The United States stance toward the resumption of peace negotiations with Israel hasn't changed. The United States wants the unconditioned resumption of the talks," said Erekat.

Meanwhile, he stressed that the Palestinian side keeps holding consultations and contacts with all the world parties to set up the date for the vote on the Palestinian bid to the United Nations for the recognition of a non-member state.

The Palestinians want to earn the largest support to the bid in the UN. However, Erekat noted that the United States and Canada had informed the Palestinian side that they won't vote in favor of the bid.

Earlier on Monday, the Palestinian media quoted unidentified Palestinian source as saying that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rejected the request of Obama to resume unconditional talks with Israel. Enditem

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