Abbas: “We want peace, but not for any price”

Saturday October 06, 2007 02:26 by Rashid Hilal - IMEMC

Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, stated on Friday evening that the Palestinians want peace but not for any price, and elaborated that ay peace should include the implementation of international resolutions, and should include establishing a viable independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital.

Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas

This state, Abbas added, will live side by side with Israel. His statements came during a dinner held in Ramallah on Friday evening at the end of a Ramdan fasting day.

Abbas added that “Jerusalem is in the heart of every Palestinian”, and that it is the hope that the Palestinians aspire to achieve.

He also stated that there will be no Palestinian state, regardless of its size, without Jerusalem as its capital.

Abbas said that the Palestinian leadership is now holding intensive talks with Israel, and that the joint Palestinian-Israeli committees will start on Monday the needed preparations for the November international conference on peace in the Middle East.

He also said that at least 36 countries will participate in this conference, including 12 Arab countries and three Muslim counties, in addition to members of the Security Council, industrial countries and others.

Abbas stated that the Palestinian side is committed to the international legitimacy, the Road Map peace plan and the vision of the American President, George Bush, of a two-state solution.

“Our demand is an independent, viable, Palestinian state in all of the occupied territories since 1967”, Abbas said, “This state will live in peace with Israel”.

He also said that the Arab Peace initiative became part of the Road Map Plan, and that Security Council resolution number 1515 clearly states that there should be a just solution to the issue of the Palestinian refugees, and that this resolution is based on resolution number 194.

Meanwhile, Tayyib Abul-Rahim, secretary to president Abbas, stated that there will be no peace and no stability without Jerusalem.

Also, Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, the Mufti of Jerusalem, said that Muslims and Christians in Jerusalem are always united, and that they also resisted the occupation. He also stated that Jerusalem is in the heart and soul of every Palestinian.

Archimandrite Attalla Hanna of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, said that peace is based on Justice, and that Jerusalem is the core issue.

He also said that the Palestinian legitimate rights must be achieved without concessions.

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