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MK: Direct talks between Palestinian National Authority and Israel will be fruitless

Politics Materials 1 September 2010 21:52 (UTC +04:00)
Direct format of peace talks between the Palestinian National Authority and Israel, which will resume in Washington Thursday, will not give any positive results.

Azerbaijan, Baku, September 1 /Trend, R.Hafizoglu/

Direct format of peace talks between the Palestinian National Authority and Israel, which will resume in Washington Thursday, will not give any positive results, Knesset member from the Arab bloc "National Democratic Union" Khanin Zoabi said.
"Like previous negotiations, this round of direct dialogue will be fruitless," Zoabi told Trend by telephone.
The Head of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will officially announce the resumption of direct peace talks, which will cover the final peace agreement, in Washington on September 2.
The peace process has been factually frozen since 2008, and a series of indirect talks were conducted in May 2010 with American mediation.

Israeli MK is confident in the failure of the forthcoming direct negotiations, because they do not affect the main points of conflict and renewed not on equal conditions.
"In fact, the negotiations should focus on lifting the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the legitimacy of the government of Mahmoud Abbas, the extension of the moratorium on the construction of Jewish settlements and the cessation of the Judaization of Jerusalem, said Zoabi. Current negotiations will proceed in unequal conditions and give Israel more opportunities for settlement activities on the occupied territories."

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that the question to stop construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem will not be on the agenda during talks in Washington. The Israeli head confirmed that the moratorium on the construction of settlements, which expires on September 26, will not be extended.

Zoabi believes that Israel will use the direct talks for temporary stability in the region, through which it will continue settlement activities.
"Israel excellently understands that these negotiations will be fruitless, but gave consent because of international pressure and short-term stability in the region," Zoabi believes.

In addition, the resumed round of direct talks will be attended only by the party of Mahmoud Abbas, ignoring thus the views of other Palestinian factions. Zoabi sees the reason in that the government of Abbas is vulnerable to Israeli and American pressure and agreed to negotiate without insisting on implementing its conditions.

"Other Palestinian parties refuse any negotiations unless Israel stops building Jewish settlements and give its consent to the determination of the international status of Jerusalem, said Zoabi. Agreeing to negotiate, Abbas saves Israel from international pressure."

Meanwhile, the Middle East Quartet (U.S., Russia, EU and UN), the traditional mediator in the peace process in the region, expressed confidence that a final solution based on the concept of "two states for two peoples" will be achievable within a year if nothing impede the peace negotiations.

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