Abbas: Israel to bear sole responsibility for talks collapse due to building
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that direct talks with Israel will be based on the Mideast Quartet's demand, as he puts it, to end the 1967 occupation, including in east Jerusalem.
In a speech he gave in Ramallah, Abbas emphasized that the Palestinians are aware of Israel's need for security, "but we must not allow security to continue to be an excuse for the occupation and settlements." He said he notified the American and international officials that "Israel will bear sole and full responsibility for the collapse of talks if settlement building continues." (Ali Waked)
