GAZA, March 11 (NNN-KUNA) — Palestinians are convinced that the Israeli government has no desire for peace, said the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s negotiations chief Dr Saeb Erekat.

“The Israeli government was given a choice between peace and settlements on Palestinian territories, and it has chosen settlements,” he said in a statement Thursday to the local radio, noting that this decision faced opposition worldwide, including criticism from visiting US Vice President Joe Biden.

He said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked Biden, during their meeting in Ramallah Wednesday, to work to annul the Israeli decision to construct 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem.

Erekat also said that Abbas notified Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa that it would be difficult for the Palestinian side to engage in the talks, proposed by US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell, without the annulment of this decision.

“The president (Abbas) has made the decision that no direct talks are to take place with the Israelis,” he said, and called on parties that recognise the threat posed by these settlement activities on peace negotiations to take action against Israel and to force it into freezing these actions, including that of the so-called “natural growth” of existing settlements.

– NNN-KUNA

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