Moussa: We seek alternatives to current peace process

Diplomats at Arab League meeting in Libya say some countries suggesting return to indirect talks to avoid total breakdown of negotiations.

By HERB KEINON, KHALED ABU TOAMEH
311_Amr moussa and abbas (photo credit: Associated Press)
311_Amr moussa and abbas
(photo credit: Associated Press)
Arab leaders meeting in Libya will attempt to find alternatives to the currently stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, Arab League head Amr Moussa said Friday.
Moussa stated that Israel's "very, very negative" stance toward the talks is responsible for the current impasse. He added that the the Arab League does not plan to tell Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas what steps to take going forward.RELATED:PA waiting for Arab League, PLO, Fatah to discuss talksHamas swears revenge for IDF attack that killed two members
Some Arab countries are proposing that Abbas return to indirect negotiations to avoid a total breakdown of Mideast peace talks, diplomats said Friday.
Abbas arrived in Libya on Thursday to seek Arab League backing for his decision to quit direct talks with Israel until the settlement construction moratorium is renewed, amid no signs that the US and Israel have a formula in hand to break the impasse.
Although Ambassador to the US Michael Oren on Thursday was the first Israeli or American official to acknowledge that Washington had offered Jerusalem inducements to extend the freeze, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu – in public statements he made later in the day – sounded more like someone trying to shift the blame for failure onto the other side, rather than someone on the verge of announcing a breakthrough.
“We honored the government decision and took upon ourselves a commitment to the international community and the US to start the peace talks,” Netanyahu said of the 10- month moratorium that ended nearly two weeks ago.
“The Palestinians waited over nine months and, immediately at the onset of the talks, set a precondition even though they had promised that there would be no preconditions.”
The prime minister said that just as his government honored its commitment regarding the settlement moratorium, “we very much hope that the Palestinians will stay in the peace talks.”
The Arab foreign ministers will be meeting in the Libyan city of Serte on Friday.
Meanwhile,  Abbas has returned to his old habit of threatening to resign if Israel does not comply with his demands, making his latest threat during a meeting in Jordan on Wednesday night with members of the Palestine National Council, the PLO’s parliament- in-exile.
Khaled Musmar, a PLO official, said that Abbas hinted during the meeting that he would resign from his post if the peace talks with Israel failed.

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Jpost.com staff and Associated Press contributed to this report.