国际英语新闻：Palestinians refuse to resume talks after US halts settlement talks with Israel

RAMALLAH, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians on Thursday refused to resume the direct peace talks with Israel after the United States halted talks with the Israeli government over freezing settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The Arab League peace initiative follow up committee will meet soon and "we won't accept to hold the peace talks while settlement goes on," Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas told a news conference in Cairo following a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

The U.S. announcement that it halted talks with Israel over freezing settlement for three months outraged the Palestinians who insisted that they would not resume negotiation before Israel freezes settlement.

"There are discussions and consultations between the Palestinian leadership and the U.S. administration. Senator George Mitchell will arrive in the region on Monday, and chief negotiator Saeb Erekat went to Washington to hold talks with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton," Abbas said.

Meanwhile, Abbas denied what U.S. officials had announced that Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will arrive in Washington soon for holding separate negotiations with each side. He stressed that Erekat is in Washington for consultations and not for talks.

Tayesser Khaled, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official, said in a press statement that the U.S. invitation to Palestinian and Israeli officials to meet in Washington for indirect talks "is a dangerous maneuver," adding that "it shows a conspiracy between the Americans and the Israeli occupation."

"The aim of the U.S. decision to bring Israeli and Palestinian negotiators for separate talks was to block the ongoing international recognition of an independent Palestinian state, mainly after Brazil and Argentina recognized the Palestinian state, " Khaled said.

The PLO official called on the Palestinians to keep rejecting any negotiations with the Israeli government before all the settlement activities on all the occupied Palestinian territories are halted, including east Jerusalem, and to recognize the Palestinian state on 1967 territories.