Hanna Amireh says there is widespread opposition to resuming talks without a settlement curb; EU's Ashton calls for moratorium extension, due to arrive in Israel to meet with Netanyahu.
By JPOST.COM STAFF, APcatherine ashton 311(photo credit: AP)
The PLO said on Wednesday that they cannot be expected to continue peace talks unless Israel reverses the decision to lift restrictions on settlement construction.Hanna Amireh, a member of the PLO body, said there was widespread opposition to resuming talks without a settlement curb.RELATED:Work begins on hundreds of settlement homesAbbas: Israel's choice is peace or settlements"The consensus is that since the entire world is in favor of a Palestinian state and against settlements, then let us throw this problem in the face of the world and see what they can do about it," Amireh said.Also on Wednesday EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said that the recently expired settlement construction moratorium must be extended if the peace talks are to have any hope of succeedingAshton made the comments after a Washington meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.Earlier on Wednesday, Ashton announced an imminent trip to Israel, where she is expected to land on Thursday. Ashton said she was heading to the region "as a matter of priority" after talking to Mitchell and international Mideast envoy Tony Blair.She reiterated in a statement that the European Union regrets Israel's decision not to extend a 10-month-old moratorium on West Bank housing starts that expired this week.Starting Thursday, the EU foreign policy chief will meet with Netanyahu, Abbas and Mitchell over two days to try to prevent the collapse of negotiations. She reiterated in a statement that the European Union regrets Israel's decision not to extend a 10-month-old moratorium on West Bank housing starts that expired this week.
