Frustrated Palestinians expected to reject direct talks focus 07/18/2010

Frustrated Palestinians expected to reject direct talks

focus 07/18/2010 RAMALLAH — Frustrated by the sluggish pace of proximity talks with Israel, the Palestinians will likely reject a visiting US envoy’s calls for direct negotiations, officials and analysts say. In recent weeks Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas has largely backed away from conditioning direct talks on a full settlement freeze, instead insisting on “progress” on the issue of borders and security in the US-brokered talks launched in May. But Israel has thus far refused to completely halt the construction of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land and, according to the Palestinians, has yet to respond to their proposals on the two thorny issues. On Thursday, Abbas’s secular Fatah movement issued a statement warning that the “lack of credibility and confidence resulting from the Israeli rejection of the indirect talks, which have achieved no progress, will become entrenched... if there is a transition to direct talks. “That is something the Palestinian leadership has not and will not accept.” .... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100718com7.html

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