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Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat
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| By Israel Insider staff October 12, 2007 |
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As the summit edges closer, it appears less likely that Israel and the Palestinian Authority are going to succeed at reaching an agreement of terms that would serve as the for the upcoming conference.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Thursday that the summit, slated for the end of November, should be postponed if the two sides do not reach an agreement in advance, according to Haaretz. Erekat warned that the Al-Aqsa intifada erupted following the collapse of the Camp David Accords in 2000, brokered by former President Bill Clinton, which many people say failed because of poor preliminary preparation.
"Do you think President Bush will do what President Clinton did?" Erekat wondered aloud. "I really doubt the Americans will issue the invitation if decisions are not made by [Palestinian] President [Mahmoud] Abbas and [Israeli Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert."
Erekat's remarks echo a number of warnings by Palestinian officials of an outbreak of violence bloodier than the Al-Aqsa intifada if Israel does not meet the PA's demands at the summit.
Erekat called for an end to negotiations between Israel and the PA and urged both sides to come to concrete conclusions ahead of the summit, saying "Negotiations are over. It's time for decisions."
The chief Palestinian negotiator dismissed the argument that Abbas is not a reliable negotiations partner because he is still struggling to establish his authority in Judea and Samaria, as well as similar remarks regarding Olmert, whose ratings have plummeted since the Second Lebanon War.
"If Mr. Olmert and Mr. Abbas reach the agreement on the end game, they'll be the most important persons in this holy land since Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem," he said.
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