Abbas: U.S. emphasis on stopping Jewish settlement falls back

RAMALLAH, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday the United States has softened its position regarding the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

When he took office in January 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama "demanded the full suspension of the Israeli settlement, but now there is a fallback in the U.S. stance in facing the Israeli government's rejection" to freeze the settlement, Abbas told reporters in Ramallah.

"The Israeli government's attitude is the main obstacle on the way of the peace process," Abbas added, referring to Israel's refusal to halt settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) stopped in December 2008 when Israel waged a military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Later, efforts to revive the talks have failed since the Palestinians insisted Israel must first stop building settlements on the land which would be part of the future Palestinian statehood.

Obama's administration has recently stepped up its efforts to restart Middle East peace talks. U.S. special envoy George Mitchell is about to visit the region.

Saeb Erekat, chief Palestinian negotiator, said the Palestinians "don't know what Mitchell is carrying," hinting out that the PNA will not accept any kind of pressure to resume negotiations with Israel.

"The Palestinian leadership won't agree to exchange any right for another right," he said.