By Xinhua
Ramallah : A leading member of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement said on Monday he doesn’t expect any success for the U.S.-hosted Annapolis peace conference.
“This is because the American side was completely biased to the Israeli side,” said Azzam al-Ahmed, the head of Fatah parliamentary bloc, adding that this was only one reason.
The conference will be held in late November “away from the Quartet,” the body which comprises U.S., EU, Russia and the UN, al-Ahmed said, demanding more role for the Quartet to save the forum.
Al-Ahmed was pessimistic regarding the construction of the current Israeli government because it includes ministers from the right.
He also said that Israel will evade from its commitments by taking Hamas’ violent seizure of Gaza Strip in June as a pretext.
U.S. President George W. Bush called for holding the conference to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace process and support President Abbas whose forces have lost Gaza Strip for Hamas.
Meanwhile, Mustafa al-Barghouti, an independent lawmaker, said that the failure of Annapolis conference will only harm Israel and the United States.
Al-Barghouti warned the Palestinian Authority not to accept any incomplete achievements from Annapolis “because conference will not bring results on the ground.”
“Israel takes advantage from the diplomatic and political movements to cover its actions, especially the expansion of settlements and the West Bank barrier wall,” he said.