Abbas: Palestinians won't share Temple Mount, but Jews can pray at Western Wall

[Jefferson23]

Palestinian president, addressing Israeli students, says East should go to Palestinians, West to Israel; shows flexibility on refugees issue.


By Jack Khoury and The Associated Press | Feb. 16, 2014

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday the Palestinian Authority would not agree to share sovereignty over the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in the course of a peace deal with Israel, but would allow freedom of worship for Jews in the Western Wall Plaza.

Addressing about 300 Israeli students at a meeting in Ramallah, organized by the Lobby for the Promotion of a Solution for the Israeli-Arab Conflict and by a Palestinian group for promoting Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, Abbas added that he sees no reason to re-divide Jerusalem, adding that a Palestinian municipality could be established in East Jerusalem, which will coordinate with an Israeli-controlled West Jerusalem via a higher body.

Abbas dismissed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's demand for Palestinian recognition of Israel as the Jewish state, and said he is not responsible for Israel's demographics. "If Netanyahu wants such recognition, he can turn to the United Nations," he said.

Abbas added that Israel did not make a similar demand in the Oslo Accords, or in the negotiations leading to the peace deals with Egypt and Jordan. "This demand places an obstacle in the way of peace," he said.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.574502

[King_David]

1. Sounds like a recipe for continuing the status quo....

There will never be a resolution if that's the case.

[Jefferson23]

3. The recipe is the Kerry Plan, which Abbas appears to be more than willing to agree with..the

rest is just bluster.

He is useless.

[azurnoir]

2. Once again why does Israel now need Palestine to confirm its identity

perhaps the fact that 25% of the so called Jewish States citizens are not Jewish?

the PLO recognized Israel's "right to exist" more than 20 years ago

[Jefferson23]

4. Abbas: Palestinians want to open, not divide Jerusalem

RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – The Palestinians do not want to divide Jerusalem, but rather keep it as an open city to be a capital for two states with Arabs and Israelis living together in the city, President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday.

The president’s comments came as he hosted a group of Israeli students in his office in Ramallah.

Abbas highlighted that it’s the Israeli government to be held responsible for hindering peace talks through the ongoing settlement construction on lands belonging to the state of Palestine.

He pointed out that the “whole world has recognized the state of Palestine.”

The agreed timeframe for the current round of negotiations will come to an end in two months and “Israel has to decide whether it wants peace or not.”

“How do they want to make peace in light of the ongoing settlement construction on lands on which the state of Palestine should be built,” Abbas asked the Israeli students.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=673935