'Negotiations halted by Israel'

chief Palestinian negotiator Dr Saeb Erekat West Bank – Faleh Nusair Faleh In an exclusive interview with Arabstoday, chief Palestinian negotiator Dr Saeb Erekat held Israel responsible for the cessation of negotiations and said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is "not a partner for peace." "It was Israel that put a stop to the negotiations," Erekat told Arabstoday. "The whole world gave Israel the choice between the settlements and negotiations, and Israel chose the settlements. The world also gave Israel the choice between peace and dictation and it chose dictation." Commenting on the US State Department calling on the Palestinian Authority and Israel to return to the negotiating table, Erekat said "We have said more than once that we are prepared to accept all commitments laid on us and we set no preconditions." He insisted that halting settlement and releasing prisoners were "not Palestinian preconditions but Israeli commitment." "If Israel and the United States want to resume negotiations, then they have to impose a halt on settlements — which includes Jerusalem — and release the prisoners. These are Israeli commitments and negotiations without a settlement freeze would be meaningless." Erekat also revealed that the Israeli Foreign Ministry had sent a message to all states and embassies which he said read "verbatim" as follows: "Firstly, President Mahmoud Abbas must be disposed of. Secondly, peace cannot be reached with President Abbas in the Authority as he practices diplomatic terrorism against Israel and must therefore be disposed of. Thirdly, a substitute leadership must be found." "This broken record was used with President Arafat, which means that this Israeli cabinet is not a partner for peace," he added. Erekat also told Arabstoday that Israel was "undermining the two-state solution through settlements, and also undermining the peace process," adding that it was "fully responsible" for the breakdown of negotiations. "President Abbas did not talk about dismantling the Authority or handing over the 'keys' as has been reported," he said, adding "President Abbas said that the Palestinian settlements were undermining the two-state solution as well as the Palestinian Authority and that they designated Israel as an occupier of the Palestine of the 1967 borders." On the financial crisis which the PA has been facing, Erekat said "Israel is withholding and commandeering Palestinian funds. When we receive the customs collected on our behalf by Israel and when it stops commandeering them, we will be able to meet our financial commitments."