PA intensifies attacks on settlement freeze

[Chris]

PA intensifies attacks on settlement freeze
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

The Palestinian Authority on Thursday stepped up its rhetorical attacks on Israel, accusing the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of "political maneuvering" and "deception" following its decision to freeze construction in West Bank settlements for 10 months. The PA is also furious with the US administration for hailing the decision as a step forward toward resuming the peace process in the Middle East. Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior PLO official who also serves as a spokesman for PA President Mahmoud Abbas, described the plan to freeze settlement construction as a "political maneuver" intended to bypass international demands for a complete cessation of all settlement activities and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Speaking to reporters in Ramallah, Abed Rabbo said that the PA leadership would not agree to resume the peace talks unless Israel complied with the Road Map plan for peace and halted all construction work in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. "Netanyahu's plan shows that Israel is not serious about peace," he charged. "It does not call for a real halt to settlement construction, but a temporary freeze. In addition, it does not include Jerusalem."

more..............PA intensifies attacks on settlement moratorium | Middle East

[Chris]

Erekat on moratorium: Netanyahu needs to make peace with us, not the US | Headlines News | Jerusalem Post

Erekat on moratorium: Netanyahu needs to make peace with us, not the US
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Israel's decision to freeze settlement construction in insignificant, according to top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, as current West Bank construction is not being stopped. He said Wednesday's announcement by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was aimed more toward appeasing American pressure than truly trying to reconcile with Palestinians. "At the end of the day Netanyahu needs to make peace with us, the Palestinians, he doesn't need to make peace with Americans," Erekat told Army Radio. "If that is what he wants, that is his business. The last I know, Washington is 6,000 miles from Jerusalem, while Jericho is 67."

[Keith]

You can almost hear the armies of Psalm 83 marching.

[chrisb01]

It's getting hot in the kitchen.

I'm praying and hoping that Bibi stands firm. As it is I think he went too far to even offer the freeze.

Nothing will appease the PA short of the non-existence of Israel.

[Chris]

You can almost hear the armies of Psalm 83 marching.

Yeah, the footsteps are getting louder with each passing day.

[Chris]

It's getting hot in the kitchen.

I'm praying and hoping that Bibi stands firm. As it is I think he went too far to even offer the freeze.

Nothing will appease the PA short of the non-existence of Israel.

I'm not sure Bibi is standing firm. One article was comparing him to Ariel Sharon with the halt in West Bank building. There's lots of pressure on Bibi to make a deal and give away the farm. We need to pray for him, he's under satanic and moslem attack from the islamics in the region and from the moslem in the White House.