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Abbas: Dissolving PNA is to be considered if peace talks fail

05 December 2010 02:02 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday that dissolving the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and the Palestinian autonomous rule is considered if peace talks collapse, APA reports quoting Xinhua News Agency.

Abbas told the official Palestinian Satellite Television (Palestine TV) in an interview that he had informed the Israelis many time that if the peace talks fail, he would dissolve the PNA.

After Israeli refused to freeze settlement construction in the Palestinian territories, the Palestinians suspended the direct peace talks and threatened of using other diplomatic options in case Israel insisted on it stances.

Abbas also said that the United States administration had informed him that it will continue its talks with Israel over freezing settlement and resuming the stalled direct peace talks.

"I won’t accept to keep the negotiations with Israel, if the latter resumes construction of settlement," said Abbas. "The U.S. told me that it will keep talking to Israel and it can’t say whether these talks had succeeded or failed."

The U.S.-sponsored on September 2 the direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, which were launched in Washington. One month later, the talks were stopped after Israel refused to freeze settlement construction.

"The U.S. response from Israel on settlement freeze will be announced at any moment," said Abbas, adding he is willing to discuss the issues of security and borders with Israel during the three-month U.S. offer to resume the talks.

The U.S. proposed an initiative, where Israel freezes settlement construction only in the West Bank and exclude Jerusalem for three months, where during this period of time, Israel and the Palestinians resume their direct talks.

"The choice of the Palestinian side is to hold direct peace talks with Israel but these talks should be based on clear and comprehensive basis all over the Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem," said Abbas.

He added that the Palestinians have their own options that start with asking the U.S. to recognize a Palestinian state on the territories occupied by Israel in 1967, and also file to the UN Security Council and ask the same request.

"In case these options fail, I won’t accept to keep being the president of an authority that is not existed. Practically, there is no authority, because I have to ask Israel’s permission for leaving or coming to Ramallah," said Abbas.

He went on saying "If they want to keep the occupation, let it be and consequently, Israel will be fully responsible for the Palestinian territories as a state of occupation."

He also called the U.S. to include other peace sponsoring countries like Europe, China, Japan and the United Nations " because all of them want peace, want talks and want to end settlement."