国际英语新闻：Abbas: Continuation of talks with Israel depends on settlement freeze

RAMALLAH, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian National Authority ( PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that the continuation of the direct peace talks with Israel depends on whether Israel would keep freezing settlement construction.

Abbas, who is currently in New York, was quoted by the Bethlehem-based Palestinian independent news agency "Maan" as saying, that "if Israel freezes settlement for one month, we will negotiate for one month."

"And if Israel freezes settlement construction for three months, we will negotiate for three months, and if Israel doesn't freeze settlement construction, we will not negotiate," Abbas said.

Abbas arrived in News York on Sunday to attend meetings of the 65th United Nations General Assembly.

Meanwhile, Israeli and Palestinian sources reported that the United States pressed Israel and the Palestinians to reach an agreement on continuing the peace talks and find a compromise over the settlement issue.

Asked about Israel's insistence that the Palestinians should recognize it as a Jewish state, Abbas said that "we are committed to the text of the Oslo agreement, in which Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) recognizes Israel's right to exist and Israel recognizes the PLO as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinians."