RAMALLAH, February 1, 2011 (WAFA) - President Mahmoud Abbas Monday called on the Quartet to issue a decision at its next meeting declaring that the Palestinian state will have the 1967 borders with minor modifications with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The quartet for Middle East peace, composed of the
Abbas issued this call during a meeting at his Ramallah headquarters with Palestinian governors, security chiefs and members of Fatah Central Committee and heads of districts.
The President said that Palestinians have options, with the first one being a return to negotiations based on the halt of settlements, stressing that negotiations need to have clear legal grounds.
He pointed out that the Palestinian leadership decided to go to the UN Security Council and General Assembly to stop illegal settlement with the support of the Arab, Islamic and non-aligned nations.
He added that all final status issues, including that of the prisoners, will be put for a referendum in case of a peace agreement.
“We cannot go to negotiations without legal terms of reference,” he said. “We cannot accept a state with provisional borders, an indefinite truce and postponing the refugees’ issue. We will not allow Israeli presence after independence as it will be an occupation. We accept third-party British, American, French, Italian or Sri-Lankan troops, but not Israelis, for maintaining security,” Abbas said.
He added that “the spontaneous reaction of the Palestinian people (to al-Jazeera Palestine Papers reports) came to protect our national project from the attack launched by Al Jazeera with the distorted documents and leaks” and that “the reaction surprised those who believed that the distorted leaks will turn things upside down; however, they turned against them.”
Abbas stressed that “the people’s reaction must be converted into a serious stand in order to face the inherent danger that targets the Palestinian hopes in establishing their democratic, independent state with its capital in
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