AMMAN, March 22, 2010 (WAFA) - The Right of our people in the popular resistance is guaranteed by international legitimacy, President Mahmoud Abbas said.
Following a meeting today in Amman, with U.S. Envoy to the Middle East, Senator George Mitchell, the President called on the Israelis not to drag us into what we or they do not like.
He described the Israeli military escalation in Nablus in the 48 past hours as “very dangerous,” saying that the situation is very critical.
He pay condolences to the families of the martyrs in Awarta, Iraq Burin near the West Bank city of Nablus, hoping that such a tragedy and the attacks on our people not to be repeated.
He called on the Israeli government to stop military escalation, and to stop the settlers attacks against the Palestinian citizens and the land.
Regarding the meeting of Mitchell the President said: “We discussed the issues in depth. We are waiting the response in the upcoming days. We hope that the Israelis adhere to the Quartet statement issued last Friday.”
The international Quartet urged the government of Israel to freeze all settlement activity, including natural growth, dismantle outposts erected since March 2001 and to refrain from demolitions and evictions in East Jerusalem.
It underscored that the status of Jerusalem is a permanent status issue that must be resolved through negotiations between the parties and condemned the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem.
The President described the Quartet statement as “important”, saying the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has to implement it.
Mitchell said in a joint press conference with Head of the Negotiations Affairs Department in the Palestine Liberation Organization Dr. Saeb Erakat, I have just good meeting and a positive, informative and constructive one with President Abbas.
“We discussed many issues including the launch of the project talks, which will lead to indirect negotiations to lead to two-state live in peace in the Middle East, two mutually independent living side by side with economic prosperity in the region,” he added.
“President Abbas expressed concern over the recent Israeli escalation in Nablus area, on behalf of the United States and the President [Obama] we express our deep concern. What is needed now is a period of quietness and calm down, tranquility for access to our every efforts for the “ proximity talks”.”
Erakat said, President Mahmoud Abbas asked the American administration to answer all of the Palestinian command in order to be ready for the” proximity talks “project with U.S.A as a third part in the indirect negotiation with the Israel.
He added, George Mitchell explained the U.S. efforts to launch indirect talks to reach a target of the two state solutions and to remove obstacles to the talks.
