No agreement without a Palestinian capital in Jerusalem: Abbas

"Not possible. Not possible. Not possible in any way. East Jerusalem is occupied territory. We will not sign any agreement that does not include East Jerusalem as the capitol of Palestine," Abbas said in an interview at the popular Charlie Rose show yesterday.

"The entire world recognises that including the US, including Olmert who says East Jerusalem or what he calls the Arab neighbours are for the Palestinians and it is their capital. We cannot accept any solution that excludes East Jerusalem," he asserted.

Abbas, who met the US President Barack Obama, at the White House early in the day, said what he would like from any US administration is to deal with fairness, to pursue the general interest of all based on international legitimacy.

"We don't talk about pressures or not pressures or anything of that sort... we want from every US administration to implement international law, international legitimacy," he said.
Because of that, what we are asking of this administration and what we have requested from previous administrations is that - for the US administration to work towards implementing this international legitimacy, especially that the Obama administration - and this is the first time we hear from a US administration talking about that the solution of a two-state solution is in the vital interest of the US.

He said that for an administration to reach this conclusion... "it is expected for the administration to implement that and to try to do it as quickly as possible in order to reach the two-state solution because the two-state solution is no longer only a Palestinian interest or an Israeli interest or a Middle East interest, but it is also an US interest."

The Palestinian leader said though he has not asked for it but he wish there was an American plan.

"I hope and wish that the time would come that it is said these are the solutions and here it is up to you to choose, either this conflict could continue forever or you would solve it this way. The solution is present. It is present within the international legitimacy, it is within the Roadmap, it is within the Arab initiative for peace," he said.

"The Arab peace initiative had offered a model for the world, a model for Israel. You know, countries have said Israel, withdraw from Arab territories and we all as Arabs and Muslims are ready to recognise you and to normalise our relations with you," he said, adding however, this initiative which was proposed seven years ago, I fear that it may be forgotten in time if Israel did not pay close attention to it and did not feel the historic moment.

"If America is to take this initiative and give it importance and push, I don't fear that the world and especially the Western world really gave the attention to the Arab initiative that it is due and this is why I call on the world to pay close attention to this," Abbas said.

"In the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict for more than 62 countries there is never a country like Saudi Arabia to offer such an initiative. So let them seize this historic moment, take the opportunity and from here I say I wish, I wish that all parties be told, not just the Israelis, but all parties be told that the historic opportunity and your future is on the line," he said.