Abbas mulls resignation as peace process stalls: Report

Abbas told US officials that he sees no chance of advancing the peace process with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in power,the report said.

Saeb Erekat,chief Palestinian negotiator,today lashed out at Israel,saying Israels position on West Bank settlement building and other key issues was intolerable. Youre presenting us as untrustworthy bastards, while the fact of the matter is that youre the ones foot-dragging and refusing to end the occupation, Erekat told Israels Army Radio.

Netanyahu says he is ready to return to negotiations,but this the same old tune, he said,adding Every Israeli government that comes along demands that we come to the discussions without pre-conditions,after we have already succeeded in reaching agreements with previous governments.

Abbas,whose popularity among the Palestinians is at its lowest ever,also expressed his disappointment over US administrations capitulation to Jerusalem on the issue of West Bank settlement construction,the TV report said.

The Palestinians have demanded a complete freeze of all Israeli settlement activities as a precondition to the resumption of peace negotiations.

While the Netanyahu led right-wing government has committed to not building any new settlements,it has insisted on continuing with ongoing building activities in the name of natural growth in existing settlements which Israel plans to annex in any final status agreement with the Palestinians.

According to Channel 10,Abbas also told the White House that the Palestinian Authoritys PA initial decision to defer a vote on the Goldstone Report at the United Nations Human Rights Council,which accused Israel of war crimes,was politically damaging.

PA had agreed to delay debating the report over concerns that going ahead could harm the fragile Middle East peace process but it led to protests and condemnations in the Palestinian territories and the Arab world,much to the glee of Abbas rivals,the Islamist Hamas.

The Palestinian leader is said to have sent a number of blunt,unequivocal messages to the White House,in the last few days,Channel 10 reported.

According to information available with Israeli officials,Abbas told the US President that he will not stand for re-election given the diplomatic stalemate with Israel,the report said.

The PA President also told the Americans that he sees no possibility that his Fatah faction,which currently rules the West Bank,can reach a reconciliation agreement with Hamas,the Islamist group which ousted Fatah in the Gaza Strip,Channel 10 said.