Rizqa: Abbas speaks the language of beggars

Youssef Rizqa, Palestinian political advisor to the Prime Minister, denounced what he described as "the language of beggars," in reference to a speech given by President Mahmoud Abbas  before the World Economic Forum in Istanbul,  in which he urged Israel to capitalise upon the current opportunity for peace in the region. Rizqa said in a press statement on Wednesday evening: "negotiations about the settlement project are failing. Abbas only speaks in begging tones because he has run out words as a negotiator on Palestinian rights." He added: “Abbas is going through his weakest stage so, his only possible action is to make demands of Israel by preaching and begging, to adopt the withdrawal process in line with what has been agreed upon regarding the cessation of settlement building." Rizqa stated that he does not precisely know the motives which pushed Israel's Kadima chairman Shaul Mofaz and new coalition partner in Binyamin Netanyahu's government, to announce that understandings with the Palestinian Authority (PA) concerning borders and security arrangements "will be reached very soon." He expected that Mofaz's statement "is an attempt by Israel to seduce the  PA to return to the negotiating table because he knows that the Authority rejects the concept of a one-sided withdrawal." Rizqa related Mofaz’s statement to another one issued  a few days ago by the Israeli Defence Minister, Ehud Barak, about the necessity of Israel to unilaterally withdraw from the West Bank because the Palestinian side is not ready to sign the settlement, according to the Israeli vision. Head of the Jewish state Shimon Peres expressed his hope to reach a settlement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides within the next three years, urging to take advantage of the will of  Abbas  to sign a peace accord saying: "Abbas is an important partner for Israel and a peace agreement can be reached with him.”