Arab League may reject Israeli freeze

Mon Nov 15, 2010

The Arab League will possibly refuse a new Israeli three-month partial settlement freeze that excludes East al-Quds (Jerusalem), an official from the organization says.

"If there is a settlement freeze that excludes Jerusalem, I cannot imagine that would be acceptable to the Palestinian side or the Arab side," Hesham Youssef, an official with the office of the secretary general of the Arab League, said on Monday.

According to reports, the US has offered a package of incentives to Israel to extend the partial settlement freeze for another three months after the issue stalled the direct talks between Tel Aviv and the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Washington plans to provide Tel Aviv with 20 advanced fighters and has agreed to veto any anti-Israeli resolution at the United Nations Security Council.

Acting PA Chief Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began the negotiations in early September after a 20-month break.

Abbas on Sunday called for an urgent meeting with the Arab League to discuss the new US proposal to Israel before announcing an official decision over the US-sponsored talks.

The PA chief has repeatedly said that any further talks with the Israeli side would depend on ending the settlement construction.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/151112.html.