Abbas wants Time Cap for Israeli – Palestinian Talks, would accept NATO Troops

by Guest Sun May 29, 2016 10:36 pm

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi and other Arab leaders. Abbas noted that an upcoming Paris conference on resuming talks between Israel and Palestine should set a time cap and focus on mechanisms to implement resolutions.

Addressing Arab Foreign Ministers of the Arab league in the Egyptian capital Cairo, Abbas also stressed that the Paris meeting that is scheduled for June 3, should also establish a monitoring committee to follow-up on what ever the parties agree upon. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to participate in the talks in Paris.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, rejected the international conference and said that direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine are the best way to find a “final settlement”.

Paying attention to semantics is important as Israel’s expanding “settlements” rapidly make the implementation of a two-State solution impossible.

Abbas reiterated Palestinian demands that the Palestinian State must have sovereignty over East Jerusalem as its capital and that the Palestinian borders as they were before the war in 1967 have to be respected. Abbas and the PLO have previously agreed on limited land swaps.

The Palestinian Authority has also gone so far as to agree to swap the internationally guaranteed right of return for parts of the Palestinian diaspora and refugee community in exchange for economic compensation and guarantees of citizenship in host countries.

Addressing the Arab foreign ministers Abbas said “When we need to demarcate these borders, we will be prepared to accept a slight exchange of territory”. Abbas also stressed the need to demand the Palestinian prisoners that are held by Israel in violation of international and humanitarian law.

The Palestinian President also rejected that Palestine would honor the Netanyahu administration’s demand to recognize Israel as a “Jewish State”. He stressed that Palestine recognized Israel in 1993, which is sufficient.

Abbas rejected Israeli proposals aimed at keeping an Israeli military presence in the West Bank and on the border with Jordan. Abbas reiterated that he would accept the presence of NATO forces to “monitor security in the area”. Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi has previously stated that Egypt would be willing to deploy military forces to the Palestinian State to monitor security there.

http://nsnbc.me/2016/05/29/abbas-wants-time-cap-for-israeli-palestinian-talks-would-accept-nato-troops/

Netanyahu has refused to go to the Paris meeting, it's perfectly obvious why.