Yasser Abed Rabbo
Photo: Gali Tibbon
Obama and Clinton. 'Talks have been unitilized to the fullest'
Photo: AP
PLO: US failed, we'll turn to UN
Palestinians enraged by announcement on failure of talks aimed at resuming settlement construction freeze, alongside promise to resume indirect negotiations. 'Instead of declaring Israel responsible, the Americans are giving the Israelis an opportunity to waste more time,' says Yasser Abed Rabbo
The American effort to revive direct peace talks between Israel
and the Palestinians has failed "and we must turn to the broader framework of the international community," Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee Yasser Abed Rabbo said Wednesday.
"It's unclear how the United States plans to succeed where it has so far failed, and it has failed mainly because of the Israeli policy," he said.
Abed Rabbo, who was visiting Greece with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, questioned the American announcement that the efforts to resume the negotiations between the sides despite the failure to reach an agreement on a new settlement construction freeze.
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Following the announcement on the failure to renew direct negotiations, Washington said it was considering resuming the indirect talks. Ynet has learned that Israeli officials are looking into the possibility of offering the Palestinians another military withdrawal and handing over security authorities to the Palestinian Authority.
But according to Abed Rabbo, "Instead of declaring Israel responsible for the talks' failure, the American administration is giving the Israelis an opportunity to waste more time by calling for the renewal of the talks."
The senior PLO official, whose stand represents the official Palestinian leadership, said the US failure proved that the exclusive American efforts had been utilized to the fullest and that "we must turn to the broader framework of the international community" – referring to the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
Abed Rabbo expressed his wonder over the American administration's denouncement of Brazil and Argentina's decision to recognize a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. "It's unclear why instead of dealing with the Israeli policy thwarting the American effort, the US chooses to condemn Brazil and Argentina for recognizing an independent Palestinian state."
The coming days, the Palestinian official said, will include internal consultations and talks with Arab leaders in order to form an opinion on the political issue. Abbas is slated to visit Cairo on Wednesday.
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