President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday that if the Quartet was unable to revive Palestinian-Israeli negotiations by January 26, then its mission will be considered a failure and all options will be open.
Speaking to Palestine TV and Voice of Palestine radio on the occasion of 47 years since the launching of the Palestinian revolution, Abbas ruled out the possibility of a third Intifada, stressing his opposition to it.
He said Jordan is trying to help the Quartet, which is composed of the United States, European Union, Russia and United Nations, to bring the parties involved together, stressing that the Palestinians are ready to resume negotiations with Israel if it agrees on the 1967 borders and stop all settlements.
“From now until January 26, if the Quartet is unable to bring the two parties to the negotiating table on clear bases, then it has failed,” he said, “and since it has failed, we will have a position, which all the organs of the Palestinian leadership are now considering and are looking for answers, and what they decide, we will act upon.”
He said that “Jordan is exerting effort to bring the Quartet together with the concerned parties. We are ready, but if nothing happens by the 26th, we have options. There are people who say a third intifada and I say this is not going to happen. I do not accept that.”
He called on the US not to neglect the Palestinian-Israeli conflict during the presidential elections year, wondering how a superpower can stop to function for an entire year because of elections.
“We call on the US not to waste 2012 on elections,” he said. “I wonder how a superpower could stop functioning for an entire year because of elections. There are serious international issues such as the Middle East conflict. The US should not say it will not open the Palestinian-Israeli conflict until the elections are over.”
Abbas stressed that achieving peace is more important than government coalition in Israel.
“As for the Israeli government, peace cannot wait for its excuse about government coalition or any other excuse. The faster we move to peace, the better it is, not only for us, but also for the Israeli people, the region and the world as whole. If there is no peace, the entire world will bear the consequences of the failure of the peace process.”
Abbas said that the preliminary date of presidential and parliamentary elections is set to May 4, but will be finally scheduled by the elections commission, adding that a government that will abide by his political program will be formed before the elections.
Abbas said that after 63 years since the Nakba (catastrophe) and 64 years since the partition of Palestine “we say enough. It is time for us to live in our homeland in peace just like the rest of the people on earth.”
He said that those who oppose recognition of a Palestinian state do not have a good reason for that, “yet they oppose it and for the silliest reason that has nothing to do with the truth.
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