RAMALLAH, May 25, 2011 (WAFA) – The Palestinian leadership Wednesday decided to give the international community time to find a way to restart the peace process before it goes to the United Nations in September.

It made this decision after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to accept a proposal US President Barack Obama had made on Thursday calling for re-starting Palestinian-Israeli negotiations based on the 1967 borders.

“The Palestinian leadership welcomes the position of President Obama, which stressed the 1967 borders of the state of Palestine and that the state will have borders with Jordan, Egypt and Israel as well as stating that all final status issues, including Jerusalem and refugees, will be negotiated,” said a statement issued at the conclusion of a meeting for the Palestinian leadership.

“The Palestinian leadership sees the importance of putting a mechanism and specific timeline by the Security Council and the international quartet that does not exceed September to implement President Obama’s ideas and all other political references that are based on international resolutions to re-start a serious political process,” it said.

“The Palestinian leadership also believes it is important that the government of Israel should accept Obama’s principle of two states on the 1967 borders,” it added.

It said that while negotiations remain the Palestinians’ choice, “it believes that closing the door to the peace process will lead it to consider all other options, particularly going to the United Nations and the Security Council in September.”

The leadership statement, read by the PLO’s secretary Yasser Abed Rabbo, condemned Netanyahu’s Tuesday speech to the US Congress warning that “its obvious purpose was to create a provocative atmosphere and to kill all chances to start a real peace process.”

It said that Netanyahu made it clear that the occupation and settlements will continue in obvious challenge of international will.

“The world has to choose between a new Middle East empty of occupation, racism and extremism, and the Netanyahu plan, which keeps open all chances for explosion, extremism and conflict,” said the Palestinian leadership statement. “The world has to choose between real peace and between occupation, settlements, and denial of the rights of our Palestinian people.”

The Palestinian leadership called “for the precise and quick implementation of the reconciliation agreement and to reunite the Palestinian people and institutions to allow the Palestinian people and their leadership “to face the critical internal and external challenges.”

It said that because reconciliation is a source of Palestinian power, “it came under irresponsible plots aiming at sabotaging it.”

It reaffirmed that the PLO remains committed to its political program and signed agreements, promising to continue efforts to form national government with a goal to hold presidential and legislative elections, as well as for membership of the PLO’s National Council.

M.A.