Clinton and Abbas
Clinton and AbbasIsrael news photo: Flash 90

Palestinian Authority officials continued to hammer home a hard line on its demands from Israel, raising the possibility that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may be left holding the bag in the next round of talks in Egypt next week.

Despite PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ tough talk last week, U.S. President Barack Obama and his advisors carefully choreographed talks with him and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu without a hitch. However, the only substantial outcome was an agreement for a new round of discussions, this time to be overseen by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt next week.

Key issues--the building freeze against new Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria, the status of Jerusalem and recognizing Israel as a Jewish state--were not publicly discussed in Washington.

Abbas and Netanyahu couched their positions in polite diplomatic language, but PA leaders have made it clear the past two days they are determined as ever that Israel meet all of their conditions for talks for a new Arab country headed by the PA.

Abbas told the Jerusalem-based Al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper Monday he would "pack my bags and leave” before compromising on the borders of a future PA state. He also left no room for discussion on the Arab demand that Israel allow several million Arabs living in foreign countries to move to Israel on the basis of ancestral claims.

As reported by Israel National News Sunday, Abbas reiterated demands he did not state publicly in Washington, particularly that Israel extend its 10-month temporary moratorium on building new Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria. Israel froze the building until September 26 as a concession to encourage the PA to sit down with Prime Minister Netanyahu, but the PA rejected direct talks until last week’s summons by President Obama.

PA chief negotiator Saeb Erekat (pictured) also poured cold water on American officials’ statements that another round of talks would follow those in Egypt. One report said the third round would take place in Jerusalem, but Erekat categorically stated that there was nothing to talk about unless the PA sees positive results, from its viewpoint, in the discussions with Clinton next week. The time now is for decisions not for negotiations," he told
PA chief negotiator Saeb Erekat (pictured) also poured cold water on American officials’ statements that another round of talks would follow those in Egypt. One report said the third round would take place in Jerusalem, but Erekat categorically stated that there was nothing to talk about unless the PA sees positive results, from its viewpoint, in the discussions with Clinton next week. The time now is for decisions not for negotiations," he toldArmy Radio

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the parent body of the Palestinian Authority, issued a statement Monday that no international conventions should be held anywhere in Jerusalem because most of the world does not recognize the city as Israel’s capital. The PLO did not specifically say that if it would refuse to sit down with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem.

Whereas Obama’s officials lined up support from Jordan and Egypt for the talks in Washington, Clinton will have to face a growing hard-line stand by Egypt, whose Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit on Monday rejected Israel’s insistence that the country be recognized as a Jewish State. He that such a definition would leave Israeli Arabs facing the danger of expulsion. Jews living in Judea and Samaria would be expelled in a future PA-controlled state. The PA would not "accept any Israeli presence, whether civilian or military, on the Palestinian territories," Abbas declared.

In contrast to the PA hard line, Prime Minister Netanyahu played the role of statesman Monday, telling visiting U.S. Congressmen that he is worried that Abbas will carry out his threat to stop the talks if his demands are not met.