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Fri, Oct 08, 2010 | Prime Minister’s Office | by Crethi Plethi

Netanyahu Is Blaming The PA If Talks Fail

The following remarks were made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in response to questions regarding the peace process while visiting the city of Lod in Israel:

“We honored the Government decision and took upon ourselves a commitment to the international community and the US to start the peace talks.

The Palestinians waited over nine months and, immediately at the onset of the talks, set a pre-condition even though they had promised that there would be no pre-conditions.

The Government’s decision was carried out quickly and we honored our commitment.

We very much hope that the Palestinians will stay in the peace talks and I think that it is important to try and advance an agreement that could lead to an end to the conflict between us and them, but today the questions needs to be directed to the Palestinians: Why are you abandoning the talks?

Don’t turn your backs on peace; stay in the talks. This is what needs to be asked today, and not of the Israeli Government.”

Thursday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Libya for the Arab League meeting and is seeking backing for his decision to quit direct talks with Israel until the settlement construction moratorium is renewed. There’re no signs that the US and Israel have a formula in hand to break the impasse.

It’s widely believed that the Arab League would back Abbas’s decision to leave the talks if Israel did not declare another settlement freeze.