Palesitnians deny negotiations with Israel

President Mahmoud Abbas’s official spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, has this Friday denied the existence of any negotiations with the Israeli side in response to information published by the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz". He stressed that any negotiations must be based on the 1967 borders, and that settlement must be stopped and international legitimacy accepted. He stressed that what was stated in "Haaretz" was not true, saying: "We are committed to the Palestinian and Arab position, which calls for a clear basis for any negotiations to be in accordance with international legitimacy. If the Israeli side accepts these conditions, then we have no objection to negotiations being clearly defined according to the principles that the Palestinians and Arabs have always agreed upon.” Abu Rudeineh stressed that no negotiations were taking place, and that Israel had refused to start up new negotiations based on a comprehensive settlement within the 1967 borders. The Palestinian and Arab decision is to go to the United Nations and the Security Council to demand recognition of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, and formal membership of the United Nations.