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Palestinian Minister Rejects Deal With Israel Bypassing Jerusalem
Palestinian Minister of International Cooperation Nabil Shaath stressed here on Sunday that the Palestinian side rejects any peace deal with Israel that bypasses the most sensitive issue of Jerusalem.
Shaath, who is attending the Palestinian Central Council (PCC) meeting in Gaza, told reporters that "what we can accept is complete discussions on all issues, including the fate of Jerusalem," noting that no major final-status issue can be postponed.
The 129-member PCC, which entered its second day of meeting on Sunday, is expected to announce a delay on statehood declaration that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat had earlier said to do as early as on September 13.
Meanwhile, Arafat announced that the peace talks with Israel, that founded in July over the future of Jerusalem, will resume on Monday and the fresh round of talks are initially decided to last for five weeks.
Earlier in the day, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said that the prime minister was ready to strike a deal with the Palestinians that involves a delay on the Jerusalem issue as proposed by U.S. President Bill Clinton during the Camp David talks last July.
Sovereignty over East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the l967 Middle East war and holy to Christians, Jews and Muslims, is the stumbling block in the 15-day Camp David summit.
Shaath said that the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations "provide an opportunity to solve all problems including Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, territorial handover and security."
The Palestinian stand was clearly based on international legitimacy and signed agreements with Israel, he pointed out.
The Palestinian side hoped that the forthcoming rounds of talks between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators could be crowned with another three-way summit so that an overall solution could be found, he added.
On the possibility of defer the Palestinian statehood declaration, Shaath said he preferred to have it delayed until another date so as to continue the peace process with Israel.
"We are continuing the peace process as suggested by President Clinton so as to give another and final opportunity for negotiations, not out of fear from possible Israeli pressures or sanctions," he stressed.
"It is our undeniable right to declare our state," the Palestinian minister repeated, adding that the whole matter would be decided by the PCC during its concluding session Sunday evening.
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