JERUSALEM: Palestinians yesterday denied that a mooted Israeli release of Palestinian prisoners is part of understandings in peace talks under which Israel would be allowed to build more settlements in exchange.
The media said this week that Israeli ministers were to meet on Sunday to approve the release of a second batch of Palestinian prisoners under the terms of the renewed peace talks.
Public radio said that, in tandem with confirming the release, Israeli authorities would announce a new swathe of settler housing to be built in the occupied West Bank or annexed east Jerusalem.
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said in a text message Thursday that such continued construction was part of “understandings” reached with the Palestinians and the Americans ahead of the renewal of talks. “Israel will continue in the coming months to announce building in the settlement blocs and in Jerusalem,” he wrote.
“Both the Americans and the Palestinians were aware in advance of these understandings.”
But Yasser Abed Rabbo, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), denied such understandings exist.
“Establishing a link between settlements and the freeing of prisoners goes against all the undertakings made,” he said.
It would “create a very dangerous situation that we would not accept at any cost.” He added that the US, which is sponsoring the talks, had actually “promised that it would manage to reduce Israeli settlement activities to a minimum.
“If (Palestinian) president Mahmud Abbas had known that Israel intended to make a link between prisoners and the prisoners, he would have never agreed to relaunch negotiations.”
PLO executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi echoed that sentiment. “Such reports are fabricated and malicious. The Palestinian side never agreed to such an exchange; on the contrary, Palestinian prisoners should have been released in compliance with earlier signed agreements.
Direct peace talks resume in July after a hiatus of nearly three years created by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to extend a moratorium on construction of new settler housing in the occupied West Bank and predominantly Arab east Jerusalem. AFP
