Palestinians urge Israel to cancel settlement plan before talks

RAMALLAH, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Palestinians will not start negotiations with Israel if it does not cancel settlement plan in East Jerusalem, a senior Palestinian official said Thursday.

Also on Wednesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel's building of new settlements threaten proximity negotiations.

"The Israeli settlement activities threaten these negotiations," Abbas said in a joint news conference with the visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in Ramallah.

"We call for canceling that decision," which allowed the building of 1,600 houses for Jews in East Jerusalem, Abbas said.