Palestinian parties oppose return to talks, say it deepens divide

GAZA, May 2 (KUNA) -- Palestinian parties expressed on Sunday opposition to a return to the talks with Israel and rejection of the Arab Follow Up Committee's support to such return after a meeting in Cairo yesterday.

Hamas for one said this regrettable development came while Israel still ignored past agreements and continued with both settlement expansion and attempt to Judaize Al-Quds.

"The support of the committee of a return to talks, even amid its continued settlement expansion and Judaization would in fact be a success of Israel's policy of forcing a status quo." The movement added, "A return to talks and placing bets on 'phantom' US guarantees is useless, in view of failure of the negotiation approach and in view of clear and total bias on the part of Washington." "Such a stance," it stressed, "would only give Israel the opportunity and sanction to commit more crimes and violations against the Palestinian people."

Eight Palestinian parties based in Damascus also expressed opposition to this development.

A statement representing Hamas as well as main players Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Palestinian Liberation Organization, went further to stress this return would "further and deepen Palestinian divide."

The coalition of parties urged all parties concerned with the Middle East peace process not to trust promises made by Middle East Peace Envoy George Mitchell, and stressed reuniting Palestinians was the lone option to stand up to Israel and its policies.

The Arab Follow Up Committee in a meeting yesterday supported the return to indirect talks despite Israel's violation of an earlier agreement to halt settlement activity for the duration of a four-month round of talks.

Israel had closely followed the said agreement with a project to construct 1,600 settlement units in an extreme Jewish concentration area of Eastern Jerusalem.

The announcement of the said project was made as US Vice President Joe Biden landed in Jerusalem for an official visit to Israel.

Source: Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
Link: http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2080028&Language=en.