Following a series of meetings in the region, President Mahmoud Abbas refused Mitchell’s request to return to peace talks without the guarantee of a meaningful settlement construction halt, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Abbas for a failure to move forward.
"The Palestinian Authority are the ones that are preventing the re-launch of the peace process with their preconditions that they have never asked before from any previous Israeli government," a statement from Netanyahu’s office said, adding, "The Prime Minister calls on the Palestinian Authority to sit at the negotiating table and discuss ways to promote security, peace, and prosperity for the two people."
Erekat, however, in a statement released on Saturday, blamed Netanyahu and his government for putting more conditions on negotiations. By continuing to build settlements, the statement said, Israel has announced its “intention to continue its occupation irrespective of [the] outcome [of peace talks], [and constitute] a direct challenge to the international community… [settlements and their construction] cast Israel’s readiness for peace further into doubt.”
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