A peace parley will not occur without a deadline for establishing a Palestinian state, the Palestinian Authority’s chief negotiator said.
At a Tuesday news conference, Ahmed Qureia said the Palestinians would “not accept negotiations without a timetable,” the first indication that the Palestinians would cancel the U.S.-sponsored talks on the creation of a Palestinian state over the issue.
“What the Palestinians want is a clear and specific document, without vagueness, that lays the basic foundation for all final-status issues. Without that, the conference will be hindered,” he said at the news conference with Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European Union’s external affairs commissioner.
Israel says it wants to enter the talks with a statement of objectives.
No date has been set for the conference in Annapolis, Md., because the sides remain far apart on the starting point for negotiations.
The Palestinians want to agree ahead of time to address core issues including borders, Jerusalem and the right of return for refugees.
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