Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has abandoned the bulk of his preconditions for peace talks with Israel, according to officials familiar with the situation, after Secretary of State John Kerry threatened to publicly blame him for the talks not restarting.
Abbas had long made his position on the talks clear, wanting the 1967 borders to be used as a “starting point” in the talks, as called for in the Arab League plan the US has been so keen on. He also wanted settlement freezes and the release of certain detainees from Israeli custody.
Now, Abbas has abandoned most of that, saying some US lip-service to the 1967 borders would be good enough, since Israel is clearly never going to agree to it, and that official settlement freezes are unnecessary too, so long as Israel restrains itself a bit from the rapid construction pace of earlier this year.
All that Abbas really wants anymore is the detainee releases, which are supposed to be what sells the process to the Palestinians. Netanyahu is said to be rejecting this condition, however, suggesting that Abbas may still end up with no talks and shouldering all of the official US blame even after giving up virtually everything he wanted.
The only thing Palestinians have to fear besides Israel would be Abbas. Mahmoud Abbas would sell out the Palestinian people to placate Lurch Kerry?
You’re delivering US/zionist propaganda with the term “peace talks” without quotes in the title of your article.
Actually it is piece talk. You talk while to continue to occupy pieces of Palestine.
Excess wealth — How it does stupefy the mind
Abbas was put into power by a CIA backed shootout that overthrew the elected government of Hamas. Comes now this illusion that paid actor Abbas was “threatened to public blame.”
For Abbas is of the rich ruling class, the 25% most wealthy, a class that would rather be ruled by Israel then be free under a government that yielded to the will of the lower half of society.
So, Kerry also demanded that Netanyahoo drop all his pre-talk demands?
what a friggin' sellout !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Puppet Abbas yet again responds to his masters bidding.
How sad for ALL freedom loving people of the world that the SELL OUT of the Palestinian People is touted as a VICTORY by the ruthless ,power-mad USA and Isreal.