US President Barack Obama is delaying the resumption of peace talks in the Middle East by not demand a firm and complete freeze of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told German magazine Der Spiegel, dpa reported.
Abbas blamed Obama's administration for not standing firm on the demand to stop the Jewish construction in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Asking for a complete freeze to start the peace talks with Israel, Abbas accused the US president of changing his first stance when he condemned the illegal Israeli construction in the West Bank.
Seven months after the intervention of Obama in Cairo, where he renewed Arab expectations for a resumption of the peace process, no talks have been held between Israel and the Palestinians. The process has remained frozen since December 2008.
Abbas talked Sunday about the disappointment of his government with Obama's performance and said that he expected major steps from Washington.
George Mitchell, US special envoy to for Middle East peace, has accelerated his visits to the region in the last month in an attempt to convince the Palestinian government to restart talks.
The Israeli government under right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a 10-month freeze of settlement activities, a move considered insufficient by Abbas. The freeze didn't include East Jerusalem or continued building that the Israelis consider "natural growth."
Abbas said last week that he would be ready to accept the start of direct, low-level talks with Israel in exchange for a three-month freeze and the recognition of 1967 borders as the basis for land swaps.
Abbas: Obama is delaying resumption of peace talks
