Amman - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that
May 28 had been set as a date for his talks with US President Barack
Obama in Washington, when he intended to set forth the Palestinians'
'conditions' for resuming peace negotiations with Israel, including
the cessation of settlement building and demolition of houses in
Jerusalem.
'We plan to visit Cairo and other Arab countries before our May 28
visit to Washington, where we are going to have talks with the US
administration on all political issues and set forth conditions for
future negotiations,' Abbas told reporters after a meeting with
Jordan's King Abdullah II.
'Our conditions and vision are part of the two-state solution,
which also involves halting settlement building and the policy of
house demolitions. Our demands are also shared by the Americans as a
pre-requisite for resuming dialogue with the Israelis,' Abbas said.
The Palestinian leader said his talks with King Abdullah focused
on the outcome of the monarch's talks with Obama at the White House
on April 21.
The talks between the king and Obama sought to convince the US
administration to play 'a leading role in re-launching serious
negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on the basis of the
two-state solution and within a regional perspective,' a royal court
statement said.
King Abdullah and Abbas underscored the importance of
'coordinating the Arab stance with a view to carrying out an
effective move to ensure tangible progress is made towards the
establishment of an independent Palestinian state,' it added.
'The two Arab leaders demanded a halt for all settlement activity
in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly Jerusalem, and
rejected all Israeli steps that seek to change the nature of the holy
city through encroachment on its holy places and emptying the city of
its population either by deportation or demolition of houses,' the
statement said.
They also urged the world community 'to shoulder its
responsibilities' in lifting the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and
ensure the entry of humanitarian aid as well as starting
reconstruction of the territory which was the scene for a destructive
Israeli attack in January.
King Abdullah, who held similar talks with King Abdullah of Saudi
Arabia earlier this week, intends also to meet with Egyptian
President Hosny Mubarak shortly to brief him on the outcome of his
talks with Obama, who strongly supported the two-state vision and the
Arab peace initiative, officials said.
USA
Your Talkback on this Story