Abbas: Peace talks with Israel haven't reached dead end

Avigdor Lieberman responds to Palestinian president's remarks to German TV, saying Abbas is no partner for peace.

By Haaretz

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denied Saturday that peace talks with Israel have reached a dead end.

In an interview to German channel Deutsche Welle, the Palestinian leader said the talks have only just begun, and that there is still time to discuss various issues, according to a report on Israel Radio.

Abbas told the German channel he couldn't discuss the talks in detail, but said each side has discussed the proposal presented by the other side, Israel Radio said.

On Sunday morning, Yisrael Beiteinu leader MK Avigdor Lieberman responded to Abbas' remarks, saying that he is no partner for peace.

In an interview to Israel Radio, Lieberman said there is no point seeking a final-status agreement between Israel and the Palestinians at the moment. Israel should focus instead on "economic and security cooperation with the Palestinians."

He said Israel must demand the Palestinians change their education system from the ground up, and added that Palestinian textbooks do not include maps of Israel or one word about the Holocaust.

Official Palestinian media is filled with anti-Semitic incitement and glorify suicide bombers, he said. Only after the Palestinians start educating the younger generation for peace, will real negotiations be possible, he added.

In another meeting in Germany, Abbas said the Palestinians would continue negotiating openly and with good intentions. He added that they want to create an atmosphere conducive to reaching an agreement within the nine-month alloted time frame, Israel Radio reported.

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