PLO accuses Israel of scuttling two-state plan

The Palestinian Liberation Organization's Negotiations Affairs Department Tuesday accused Israel of attempting to destroy a two-state solution. Dubbed "Palestine's Capital: The 1967 Border in Jerusalem and Israel's Illegal Policies on the Ground," the document published Tuesday focuses on settlement construction and the importance of the 1967-lines. "Such illegal Israeli policies against Palestinian land and people aim at effectively changing the status quo of Jerusalem in order to turn it into an exclusive Jewish city. ... something that effectively destroys the internationally endorsed goal of two sovereign and independent states," a statement published on the Palestine News Network said. The dcument's release comes amid plans by the Palestinian leadership to convene in Ramallah in the West Bank and discuss preparations for the next round of talks with Israel scheduled for Aug.14. Jamal Muhaissen, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, said leaders at the meeting will assess the outcome of the first session of talks in Washington and prepare for the next round, The Jerusalem Post said. The Palestinian leadership intends to stick to its demand that negotiations be conducted on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, he told the newspaper. Muhaissen added the Palestinian leadership will oppose any attempts to establish the future Palestinian state on provisional borders.