RAMALLAH, West Bank, Palestinian officials said Saturday that Isræls dismissive response to President Barack Obama new Middle East peace proposal evidence there is not enough common ground for meaningful negotiations.
Despite these skepticism seemed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas not hurry to announce his next move. He instructed his advisers to avoid public comment, probably to keep attention focused on isrælske prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there seems to be set on a collision course with Obama.
The US President said this week that isrælsk-Palestinian borders negotiations should be based on Isræls before the 1967 war lines with mutually agreed land swaps, adopt a formal long sought by the Palestinians but rejected by Netanyahu.
Finally, presents his own vision of the rough outlines of a peace agreement, pace Obama deeper into the Middle East struggle after more than two years on the sidelines. But he does not submit an action plan with his ideas, and responses from both sides announced that the chances of renewal talks largely on hold since 2008, still more remote.
Obama and Netanyahu is to resolve quietly lobbying group AIPAC on Sunday and Monday, respectively. The isrælske leader are planning also to deal with Congress on Tuesday. White House spokesman has said Obama will talk about the strong ties between Israel and the United States, but does not deliver a policy speech.
Strain in the relationship was apparent Friday after a two-hour White House meeting between Obama and Netanyahu. In the tv cameras, Netanyahu at times seemed to lecture Obama, and suggested the President's ideas are unrealistic, fail to say that "peace based on illusions" quickly.
Among Abbas ' senior aides, meanwhile, seemed to be some disagreement over tactics.
Chief negotiator Saeb fine said it is best for the Palestinians to keep quiet and let Netanyahu make the speech.
"We accept two States based on 1967 lines with agreed swaps ... and we wish Mr. Netanyahu say this sentence," said fine. "We hope to hear it in Congress on AIPAC in Hebrew, Arabic, Dutch, English, in all languages."
Well said it is too early to talk about what you should do if Obama fails to renew peace talks. Abbas ' aides have prepared to bypass the negotiations with a bid in September to win's recognition of a State in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war.
Another senior aide, Nabil Shaath, said he expects Abbas to renew his support for the UNITED NATIONS in the coming days — unless Obama somehow persuades Netanyahu to change course and accept the 1967 borders as a baseline.
"It is very clear that Obama attempts (to restart negotiations) was shot down by Mr. Netanyahu," said Shaath Saturday, add, unless there is an isrælsk reversal, "we will continue our work until September and will continue to search countries recognize Palestine."
It is unlikely Netanyahu will change course when he responds to a right-wing coalition home and told Obama Friday, to the 1967 borders would be "reckless." Netanyahu did not touch on the idea of swaps, which likely will allow Israel to annex parts of the West Bank with large Jewish settlements, provided it compensates the Palestinians with the same amount of isrælske soil.
Netanyahu has repeatedly said he is willing to resume negotiations, but Abbas said he did not make it, as long as Israel to stop building homes for Jews in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Obama speech on Thursday, Abbas has since been consulting with Arab Foreign Ministers on the phone and heading to Jordan Saturday for talks with King Abdullah II. He is also to meet with the leaders of the PLO and his Fatah movement and has requested a meeting of Arab League Foreign Ministers later this month, said fine.
Obama has warned the Palestinians that a UNITED NATIONS bid would not get them a State.
But Abbas may not interrupt the move because of growing expectations at home, said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Executive Committee, the PLO. "I personally predict public is committed to the United Nations," said Ashrawi. "Netanyahu managed to undermine every single attempt to engage in serious negotiations".
There seems to be some confusion over what the UN's general Assembly be able to offer the Palestinians, if a recognition bid is the veto of the United States in the Security Council. An internal Palestinian document said the Palestinians should then ask the general Assembly to establish a UNITED NATIONS trusteeship in the isrælsk-occupied territories, while Shaath suggested the Palestinians at best could win an upgraded observer status.
In Israel, senior officials played down the potential damage isrælsk-US relations after the clash in Obama peace vision.
"I believe that when we hear all the details, it would be clear that the meeting was less dramatic than it was done," defense minister Ehud Barak, a centrist, told Israel television channel 2. "I do not think the President said you must go back to the ' 67 lines. He said you have to talk about borders on the basis of ' 67 lines with the relevant swaps. "
Netanyahu's blunt rejection of much Obama vision seemed still to further isolate Israel.
The Quartet of Middle East negotiators include the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia said it supports the President's parameters and is in "full agreement on the urgent need" to solve the isrælsk-Palestinian conflict.
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