PA source: Netanyahu doesn't want peace

The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed much disappointment Monday night with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements after his meeting with US President Barack Obama.

A senior Palestinian Authority official said raising the matter of recognizing Israel as a Jewish State was the PM's latest obstacle: "Netanyahu has replaced the demand to recognize Israel as a Jewish State with his demagogic slogan of 'give and receive'.

"The Israeli government and its head are not interested in the peace process. They are interested in eternal negotiations, and if the American administration truly does mean what is says about the establishment of a Palestinian state being an American interest, they must push the Israeli prime minister to prevent him from destroying the peace process."

The Palestinians believe the diplomatic process is as its most sensitive and dangerous crossroads since the Madrid Conference and that "if the international community headed by President Obama does not prevent the extremist heads in Israel from destroying the process – the whole two-state concept, and the entire concept of regional peace, will make way for a new cycle of violence.

"Setting up empty work teams, without any intention of reaching agreements and without any timetables, is out of the questions.

"The same conditions the international community has demanded of the Palestinian side regarding recognition of the international Quartet's terms should also be demanded of the extreme rightist government that is ruling in Israel," the source said.

Israeli sources were also quick to comment on the Obama-Netanyahu meeting. Kadima MK Ze'ev Boim said, "It's a shame that Israel's number one expert in understanding America politics has failed by trying to entice President Obama with meaningless chatter.

"Bibi (Netanyahu) should have known that this would not convince the president, and he should have showed up with a set doctrine on how to handle the Palestinians issue in order to received American support of Israel's approach towards Iran."

Labor MK Yuli Tamir said, "Netanyahu is trying to ignore the unequivocal policies led by Barack Obama, who views the two-states for two peoples principle as key to stability in the Middle East.

"In doing so, Netanyahu is sabotaging the State of Israel, and damaging its vital interests. Today it is clear that it is the Netanyahu government's diplomatic tone that dictates (Foreign Minister Avigdor)

Lieberman's dissention."

MK Ofir Akunis (Likud) said, "The prophecies of a tense meeting proved to be false. The meeting between Obama and Netanyahu proved, once again the strength of the bond between the US and Israel.

"The government is committed to the peace process with the Palestinians, not based on two states for two peoples, but on the Palestinian recognition of Israel as the state of the Jewish people."

Amnon Meranda and Attila Somfalvi contributed to this report