Leftist leader: “Abbas must cease meetings with Olmert due to military escalations”

Monday April 23, 2007 23:47

by Shadeed Shadeed

Khalid Mansour, member of the Central Committee of the leftist Palestinian People Party, said on Monday that president Mahmoud Abbas must stop his meetings with the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, due to the continuous Israeli military escalations.

Logo - Palestinian People Party

Khalid Mansour, member of the Central Committee of the leftist Palestinian People Party, said on Monday that president Mahmoud Abbas must stop his meetings with the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, due to the continuous Israeli military escalations. Mansour stated that the Israeli leadership must realize that “there cannot be talks about peace while the army continues its attacks and crimes against the Palestinian people”.

Mansour added that if Israel really wants peace, it should take practical measures that prove its claimed intentions.

He added that if the Palestinian leadership stops its contacts with Israel, it will strengthen its relationship with the people who are suffering under military occupation and repeated attacks.

Mansour also stated that the Palestinian Authority is incapable of lifting the siege and ending the chaos and insecurity in the Palestinian territories, and remains unable to take a firm stance against the Israeli military.

Moreover, Mansour stated that the Abbas-Olmert meetings only serve the Israeli interests since Olmert wants to create a false impression that there is an ongoing peace process while the army continues its attacks and violations of human rights in the Palestinian Territories.

“These meetings will not lead to serious results, and will not lead to serious and compressive negotiations”, Mansour said, “Even the US Secretary of States, Condoleezza Rice, said that these meetings will not focus on the main issues”.

Mansour elaborated that Abbas must stop these meetings immediately since Israel has not changed its policies and continues to attack the Palestinian people and their land.

Mansour called on the Arab world, especially on the special committee that was formed by the last Arab Summit to exert pressures on the US Administration in order to stop the Israeli violations.

Translated by Saed Bannoura