By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Sunday that holding a summit between President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert “is necessary.”
Erekat told the Qatari satellite television of al-Jazeera that a meeting between the two leaders “is necessary to make the outlines of the peace negotiations more clear.”
During the peace conference held in Annapolis, Maryland, Israel and the Palestinians agreed to start their talks on final status issues towards establishing an independent Palestinian state.
One session of talks was held after Annapolis between the two sides, but ended without making any achievements as Israel decided to expand the settlement of Har Homa in east Jerusalem.
“Israel must choose, either to follow the track of peace and negotiations or the track of settlements. I don’t believe that Israel can combine both tracks at the same time,” said Erekat.
Asked about a cease-fire with Israel, Erekat said “all parties have to work together in order to agree on a mutual and equal ceasefire, which is an interest to the Palestinian people.”