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Abbas: �If building continues we will have to stop talks� The Jerusalem Post (Link) (September 28, 2010) PA president says he will stop talks if the freeze is not reinstated; imprisoned Fatah leader Barghouti says Obama must pressure Israel to stop settlements, advocates armed struggle. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told radio station Europe 1 that he will stop talks if the settlement freeze is not reinstated, AFP reported on Tuesday. �We don�t want to stop the talks, but if the building continues, we will have to put a stop to them,� Abbas said. �(Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu must know that peace is more important than settlements.� �We ask for a moratorium during negotiations, because as long as there are negotiations, there is hope,� he reportedly told the radio station in Arabic. Earlier on Tuesday, Fatah official Marwan Barghouti said that the US must pressure Israel to stop buildin in order to save the peace talks.In an interview with Al-Hayat, Barghouti said Israel�s leadership is �not serious and not trying to achieve peace.� �Without requiring Israel to return Palestinian refugees, negotiations are worthless,� he expressed in the interview. �Obama�s efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has not succeeded up to now,� Barghouti said. �If the US will continue to favor Israel without pressuring it to end the occupation and return to 1967 borders, peace efforts will fail,� he explained. Barghouti, who is currently serving 67 life sentences in an Israeli prison, also announced his continued support for the armed struggle against Israel. �
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