Palestinians no longer believe in 2-state deal

Peace confab to be postponed

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Dec 14, (Agencies): Twothirds of Palestinians believe a two-state solution to their conflict with Israel is no longer possible, a poll said Tuesday.

The share of those who lost faith in such a deal rose from 56 percent in September to 65 percent now, probably due to an acceleration of settlement activity, said the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey research.

Most in the international community still back the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, even though a deal appears to be increasingly complicated, in part because of the continued growth of settlements. Gaps between Israeli and Palestinian leaders remain wide, preventing any meaningful talks since 2009.

The poll was conducted last week among 1,270 Palestinians and had an error margin of three percentage points.

The survey also found that 54 percent have no faith in the newly elected leadership of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement. The vote at a recent Fatah convention affirmed aging party stalwarts in top jobs and was seen as a move to sideline exiled Abbas rival Mohammed Dahlan. In a related development, Abbas decided to strip four legislators seen as close to Dahlan of their parliamentary immunity, taking yet another step to prevent a Dahlan political comeback.

Abbas

Strip

In the past, only the Palestinian parliament could strip legislators of their immunity. Parliament has been defunct since 2007, when the violent split between Fatah and rival Hamas produced separate governments in the West Bank and Gaza. Abbas has ruled autonomous West Bank enclaves by decree since then.

Fatah said on its Facebook page that the four legislators would be investigated about suspicions of embezzlement of funds and weapons dealing.

Najat Abu Baker, one of the legislators being targeted, said the decision amounts to “suppression of the freedom of expression.” She said she was not notified of any possible legal steps against her. Tuesday’s survey said 60 percent of Palestinians reject the court ruling giving Abbas the right to move against legislators.

France will postpone a proposed Middle East peace conference in Paris to January next year, Voice of Palestine radio reported on Wednesday, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refusing to participate and US attendance in doubt.

France has been trying to persuade Netanyahu, who has repeatedly rejected the conference proposal, to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the French capital to try to revive moribund peace talks between the two sides.

Voice of Palestine radio quoted Palestinian Ambassador to France Salman El Herfi as saying that Paris had informed the Palestinians of its delay to the peace conference until January “to make better preparations”.

A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli policeman with a screwdriver in annexed east Jerusalem’s Old City before being shot dead on Wednesday, police said.

The attacker “produced a screwdriver and stabbed a policeman in the head, lightly injuring him”, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said in a statement. “Security forces neutralised the terrorist.” She later confirmed he had died of his injuries after being taken to a local hospital.

The assailant struck in the heart of the Old City, a major draw for foreign tourists and pilgrims but the site of several attacks over the past year.