By Xinhua
Gaza/Ramallah : The statements by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert saying that Israel would continue the settlements construction in east Jerusalem incited vehement repercussion among the Palestinians.
Prior to a scheduled meeting between Palestinian and Israeli negotiating teams on Monday, Olmert said at a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Israel would not stop building homes in East Jerusalem’s neighborhood of Har Homa, calling Har Homa an “inseparable” part of Jerusalem.
The statements immediately drew criticism from all Palestinian circles.
Nabil Abu Rudenieh, spokesman of the Palestinian presidency, said the Palestinian Authority (PA) condemned the continuation of settlements activities in the Palestinian territories.
“The settlements activities will undermine the American efforts to revive the peace process,” Abu Rudenieh said, calling for a clearer U.S. position against the settlement policy.
Earlier on Tuesday, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat disclosed that the Palestinian side had asked for a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni “to convey a serious message to the Israeli government saying that talks and settlements can’t work at a time.”
The view of halting peace talks with Israel was echoed by some Palestinians who favored a conditioned talks with Israel until its tops settlements activities and all violations against the Palestinians.
However, some others like Islamic Hamas movement opposed the peace talks with Israel at all and took the statements of Olmert as a sound reason to slam rival Fatah and its leader Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has been pursuing talks with Israel.
Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said that Olmert’s reiteration to continue settlements “is a slap on Abbas face and his negotiations team who remains having nothing but offering more and more concessions.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the Office of President Abbas issued a written statement, denying the reports saying that Abbas decided to halt the peace negotiations with Israel.
“Abbas and his team’s persistence to continue negotiations with the Israeli occupation is a clear approval to the occupation’s settlements projects and crimes aimed at eliminating the Palestinian cause,” said Barhoum.
Meanwhile, member of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee Tayesser Khaled described Olmert’s statements on settlement expansions as “provocative.”
Khaled called on the Palestinian negotiation team “to take a serious decision and halt all contacts and talks with the Israeli side until the Israeli government stops all its settlement activities and other violations against the Palestinians.”
Meanwhile, the Jerusalem-based al-Quds Daily said on Tuesday that Olmert’s statements are “a challenge to the American criticism, and would lead to more complications in the inactive peace process.
The Israeli government had decided last week to build 700housing units in the settlement of Giv’at Ze’ev in east Jerusalem, which made the already tough peace talks almost a “mission impossible.”