Abbas Criticizes Bush Biased Position, Contemplates Resignation

President Abbas calls on Washington to adopt non-biased position towards peace

Sunday May 18, 2008 17:56 by Rami Al-Mughari - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, confirmed that the Palestinian side’s stance towards international legitimacy has not changed, in terms of talks with either the Israeli or American side.

Abbas’s remarks came during a press briefing after meeting with the Egyptian President Husni Mubarak, in the Sharm El-Shaikh town of Egypt.

“We don’t want the Americans to negotiate with the Israelis on our behalf, we rather want them to stand by legitimacy and maintain the least of nonbiased position”, Abbas told reporters.

He added that for the Israelis, “we are negotiating with them but we are not ready to deliver illusions but we want to say that things have been sorted out already”

He asserted that the Palestinian side will not be ready to postpone any of the outstanding negotiations issues such as the refugee problem and the status of east Jerusalem.

The Palestinian President called on the ruling Hamas government to renounce control over Gaza and return to dialogue with his Fatah party. Hamas ousted Fatah-loyal forces from Gaza in June2007.

Abbas’s statements came prior to a planned meeting in Sharm El-Shaikh with President Mubarak and U.S President Gorge W. Bush.

Spokesperson denies Abbas' intention to resign

Date: 19 / 05 / 2008 Time: 09:42

Bethlehem - Ma'an –

Palestinian Presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudainah denied reports on Monday that President Mahmoud Abbas plans to resign if a final agreement is not reached in negotiations with Israel within six months.

Speaking to the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, Abu Rudainah said the report, published in Israeli media on Sunday, that Abbas had told Israeli Knesset member Yossi Beilin about his threatened resignation, was false.

Abu Rudainah said " President Abbas would continue exerting efforts to achieve the dream of the Palestinian people in establishing the independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital."

The PLO's chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, also said that Abbas is committed to reaching a peace agreement with Israel by the end of 2008.

"In case of failure to achieve this goal, he will weigh his options then, not now," Erekat added.

Abbas threatens to resign if peace deal not reached by end of year

[ 19/05/2008 - 11:01 AM ]

CAIRO, (PIC)--

Israeli sources revealed that PA chief Mahmoud Abbas is begging for any kind of a settlement agreement even if it is weak through sending warning massages to Israeli political figures that he would resign his post if a peace deal was not reached by the end of 2008.

According to the sources, Abbas told Knesset member Yossi Beilin during their talks on the sidelines of the Davos economic forum in Sharm Al-Shaikh that the coming six months would be decisive, and there would be no point in staying in his position if he did not make a settlement deal with Israel by the end of this year.

The sources also said that Abbas warned that a new Intifada could break out if peace was not achieved and hinted that the Israeli occupation government would not find a peace partner better than him if he resigned.

The US president in Sharm Al-Shaikh embarrassed Abbas and his negotiators when he did not mention in his speech the Palestinian people's right to achieve their legitimate national demands.

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