Palestinian official: US backs Palestinian state, considers Israeli settlement illegal

The United States submitted written guarantees to the Palestinian leadership whereby it backs the establishment of a Palestinian state and considers the Israeli settlement in the Palestinian territories illegal, a senior Palestinian official said Thursday. Reyad al-Malki, the minister of foreign affairs in the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), told Xinhua during an interview at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah that the written U.S. guarantees back the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the territories occupied by Israel in 1967. "The American Administration, which presented the written guarantees to the Palestinian leadership, is fully responsible for Israel's attempts to fail the direct peace negotiations and continue settlement construction which violates the two-state solution," said al-Malki. He explained that the Palestinians agreed to resume the talks not only due to the Israeli approval to release prisoners, "but because the United States had submitted to the Palestinian side written assurances that it considers settlement activities illegal and backs a Palestinian state." The direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians were resumed one month ago after nearly three years of stalemate due to differences on the issue of settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Recently, several rounds of talks were held in Washington, Jerusalem and the West Bank, but without making any breakthrough. SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION UNDERMINES PEACE "It is still too early to speak about evaluating the rounds of talks that were held during the last four weeks," al-Malki said, adding "all that I can say is that the ongoing Israeli settlement activities overshadowed the meetings which were conducted under the U.S. sponsorship." Accusing the Israeli government of undermining the negotiations, the top Palestinian diplomat said "Israel accepted to resume the talks under the pressure of the Americans and now it searches for excuses to undermine them." "The ongoing settlement activities and the violations on the ground against the Palestinian people are aiming at foiling the efforts to resume the peace process. It is a fact that the Palestinian leadership fully understands," said al-Malki, who revealed that the Palestinians are deeply observing the Israeli practices. Since the resumption of negotiations between the two sides in late July, Israel has approved the construction of 2,100 settlement units in east Jerusalem and the West Bank. The Palestinians, who were insisting not to involve in any direct or indirect talks with Israel, accepted to restart negotiations after the Israeli government agreed to free 104 Palestinian prisoners, who were arrested before both sides signed the Oslo peace accord in 1993. Almost 26 of them were already released two weeks ago. U.S., INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY RESPONSIBLE "The Palestinian side is expecting more U.S. pressure on Israel to halt settlement construction, because no one else is able to do so," said al-Malki, who revealed that the Palestinians are contacting the U.S. administration and other international parties to intensify pressure on Israel. "We had repeatedly informed the Americans and the international community that they are fully responsible for the situation... The Palestinians have never been responsible at all for obstructing the talks, and we don't really want to keep paying the price." U.S. Secretary of Sate John Kerry, who led the efforts to get the two sides back to the negotiation table, considered settlement construction as an obstacle to peace but never asked Israel to halt it. Asked whether the Palestinians would withdraw from the talks if settlement activities continue, al-Malki said "the answer to this question is not yes or no, but as I've already said talks can't go on with ongoing settlement construction." "Everyone, including the Palestinians, consider the talks a last opportunity for peace," said al-Malki. Regarding formation of sub-negotiation committees on permanent status issues of Jerusalem, settlement, refugees, water, security, borders and release of prisoners, the official said it is still too early to speak about such groups. When asked about the options the Palestinians have in case the peace talks fail, al-Malki said "even if we have other options, we won't unveil them now," noting that "we bear in mind the nine- month ultimatum to finalize the talks and we hope we will succeed and reach our goals."