Palestinians aim for US recognition: Saeb Erakat

The Palestinians are hoping for U.S. recognition of an independent Palestinian state in response to Israel's refusal to freeze settlement building, chief negotiator Saeb Erakat said on Wednesday.

"We hope that the American administration would recognize the Palestinian state within the 1967 borders as a response to Israel's settlement diktats and other unilateral measures," Erakat said in Cairo.

"Decisions are needed and, if the United States wants to safeguard the two-state solution, it must recognize the Palestinian state within the 1967 borders," he told reporters.

He was referring to the Six-Day War of 1967 when Israel seized the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

Erakat was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting between Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Arab League chief Amr Moussa after Washington admitted defeat in its efforts to secure an Israeli settlement freeze.

We hope that the American administration would recognize the Palestinian state within the 1967 borders as a response to Israel's settlement diktats and other unilateral measures

Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat

Peace process was in crisis

Washington acknowledged on Tuesday that it has dropped a demand that Israel renew a freeze on Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the Palestinian condition for any resumption of direct peace talks.

Washington had been trying for weeks to convince Netanyahu to impose a new moratorium on settlement construction in the occupied West Bank.

A 10-month freeze expired on September 26, shortly after the launch of new peace talks -- the first direct ones in nearly two years.

Abbas reacted to the news saying that the peace process was in crisis.

"There is no doubt that there is a crisis," Abbas said earlier Wednesday in Athens following talks with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou.

Abbas said he hoped the European Union would get involved in relaunching the negotiations. "We hope that the time will soon come when the E.U. will play a role alongside the United States."

Erakat also expressed concern over negotiations with Israel saying "the peace process is going through a dangerous impasse."

"Israel's defeat of U.S. efforts places the region on a real crossroads," Erakat said.

He also said that, during his visit to Athens, Abbas asked the Greek premier to recognize a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and urged him to seek such recognition from "the other friends in Europe."

Abbas holds talks Thursday in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

At the weekend, Arab foreign ministers are due to gather in Cairo for a meeting of the Arab League Follow-up Committee to review the peace process at the request of the Palestinian leader, Arab League chief Amr Moussa announced.

There is no doubt that there is a crisis

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas

Reactions

Speaking to journalists in Jerusalem, Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair said the announcement did not mean peace efforts had failed, saying all parties were determined to "find a way to get credible and serious negotiation back on track again."

The European Union said it regretted Israel's rejection of a new freeze.

"We note with regret that the Israelis have not been in a position to accept an extension of the moratorium as requested by the E.U., the U.S. and the Quartet," spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said.

United Nations envoy Robert Serry expressed his disappointment and said he would brief the Security Council on the latest developments on December 14.

The Israeli right expressed delight at the government's refusal to give in to pressure from its main ally, with deputy parliament speaker Danny Danon praising Netanyahu for rebuffing U.S. calls for another "damaging and pointless" freeze.

The Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said U.S. failure to secure any concession from Israel vindicated its longstanding opposition to the policy pursued by Abbas's Fatah party, its longstanding rival.

"Fatah has lost its gamble of counting on Washington as the US position on the Palestinian question is always utterly dependent on Israel," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said.

We note with regret that the Israelis have not been in a position to accept an extension of the moratorium as requested by the E.U., the U.S. and the Quartet

EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic

Push for deadline

Egypt said Major powers should push Israel and the Palestinians to agree a deadline for establishing an independent Palestinian state before a two-state solution becomes impossible to achieve.

In some of Egypt's strongest language since the talks ended, Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said discussions should shift to an "end-game for a Palestinian settlement" after Washington had failed to push Israel to halt building work.

"The Americans have been informing all of us that their efforts did not succeed. They wanted to reach a moratorium on settlement activities with Israel. That came to an end now."

He said Egypt's concern was that "we continue haggling without (making) any breakthrough, then in few years there would not be a possibility of two states living side by side."

"You have a bi-national state or you have occupation or apartheid. The ... option which we are all preferring is to have two states instead of one state based on apartheid," Aboul Gheit said at a briefing during a visit to Bulgaria.

He said the quartet of the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russian Federation should devise a framework agreement that fixes a Palestinian state's borders and the status of East Jerusalem while ensuring Israel's security.

"If there would be an exchange of territories it has to be minimal," the minister said.

He said the agreement "can be drafted by the Americans, by the quartet, by a group of experts, two or three pages of a grand understanding to be offered by the international community to both parties" with a specific time for a deal to be reached.

You have a bi-national state or you have occupation or apartheid. The ... option which we are all preferring is to have two states instead of one state based on apartheid

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit