Abbas aide says declaring independence a possibility

(Video) Member of Palestinian negotiating team Yasser Abed Rabbo says if talks with Israel continue to falter, Palestinians should unilaterally declare independence. President Abbas states proposal premature, voices his commitment to peace negotiations

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VIDEO - Palestinians should declare an independent state unilaterally if peace talks with Israel continue to falter, a top aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Yasser Abed abbo, said on Wednesday.
Abbas-Olmert meeting (Video courtesy of infolive.tv ) 
But the Palestinian president said the proposal was premature and pledged to keep negotiating until the end of the year. In a statement, Abbas said that he remained committed to reaching a negotiated peace agreement this year. "If we are unable to do that ... We will return to our Arab (brothers) to take the appropriate decision," He said. 
Saeb Erekat, another senior Palestinian negotiator, voiced opposition to any unilateral declaration of independence.
Abed Rabbo, a member of the Palestinian negotiating team, made his comments a day after the latest round of top-level talks with Israel.
"If things are not going in the direction of actually halting settlement activities, if things are not going in the direction of continuous and serious negotiations, then we should take the step and announce our independence unilaterally," Abed Rabbo told Reuters.
He drew an analogy to Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia on Sunday .
"Kosovo is not better than us. We deserve independence even before Kosovo, and we ask for the backing of the United States and the European Union for our independence," Abed Rabbo said.
Erekat, Qureia oppose unilateral declaration 
But Erekat said the Palestine Liberation Organization had already declared independence in 1988.
"Now we need real independence, not a declaration. We need real independence by ending the occupation. We are not Kosovo. We are under Israeli occupation and for independence we need to acquire independence," Erekat said.
Meanwhile, the chief Palestinian negotiator, Ahmed Qureia, quickly quashed the idea of a unilateral declaration, saying it was never brought before the Palestinian leadership. 
"Decisions should be taken and then declared, and not be declared and then be taken," Qureia stated. 
Qureia said negotiations with Israel were serious, and were touching on all major issues, but that no progress has been made so far.

First published: 09:31, 02.20.8