The current round of talks is stalled because the US administration failed to exert enough effort, the president said.

"If the US recognizes the 1967 borders as the borders of the Palestinian state, the PA will resume peace negotiations with Israel."

Abbas: Failed talks could lead to uprising

Published today (updated) 22/01/2011 14:39

RAMALLAH (Ma’an) --

Fearing the failure of the peace process, President Mahmoud Abbas told Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV on Friday that he will seek the recognition of statehood via the UN, and work political channels to guarantee Palestinian liberation.

Speaking from Ramallah, Abbas said the failure of negotiations between Palestinians and Israel could lead to a popular uprising or revolution rather than military confrontation. He said it was for this reason that negotiators had refused the offer of secret talks with Israel's defense minister.

Thus far, he added, Israel has done little but impede the peace process, and he said he had little confidence in talks at the present juncture.

A failure would have "disastrous consequences in the whole region," Abbas said.

The PA was not yet ready to declare a Palestinian state, the leader continued, saying that work would continue at the UN and through political pathways he declined to explain.

"We will continue the political struggle until we have a state with Jerusalem as its capital."

Statehood was the goal of the agreements reached under former US President George W. Bush, Abbas explained. The Roadmap, he continued, lead to a state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital. "It was agreed," he said, until the Israeli government disavowed the implementation of the agreement.

The current round of talks is stalled because the US administration failed to exert enough effort, the president said.

"If the US recognizes the 1967 borders as the borders of the Palestinian state, the PA will resume peace negotiations with Israel."

Unity

Without a reconciliation agreement neither presidential nor legislative elections would be held, Abbas said, as officials in the West Bank prepared for a municipal vote to go ahead without Gaza cooperation.

Asked about progress in any unity deal with Hamas, the rival party of Abbas' Fatah, the president said efforts were ongoing to get the ruling Gaza party to sign the Egyptian document. He made no mention of announcements by the Palestinian People's Party that Cairo was preparing to host a new round of talks.

Abbas said a "certain understanding" had been reached at the last round of talks in Damascus, but accused Hamas of "thwarting" them by bringing up the issue of politically-motivated detentions.

PA security services detain only those who attempt to deal with explosives and arms, launder money or engage in activities that could endanger the ceasefire with Israel in the West Bank, he said.

"Hamas is maintaining ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, so why don’t they do the same in the West Bank. This is unclear."

When the Egyptian unity document is signed, he said, a government would be formed which would take over the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and prepare for new elections.

Internal Fatah politics

On the investigation of Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Dahlan, who was once Fatah and PA’s strongman in the Gaza Strip, Abbas said that if the investigation committee found the official guilty, he would be detained and handed over to the courts for a trial.

"There are no pressures on the PA from inside or outside to stop interrogating Dahlan, but if he is not found guilty, Fatah will apologize to him, and if he is convicted, he will be put to justice," Abbas said.

Fatah has remained tight-lipped as to the nature of the allegations against Dahlan, but reports in the Hebrew press indicate that the investigation centers on the testimony of men hired by the official to launch a private militia in the West Bank.