Prisoner?s Dilemma: A senior Palestinian official says peace talks cannot commence without a guarantee from Israel that veteran prisoners will be released. Image by haaretz

The Palestinians will not take part in peace talks scheduled to begin in Washington on Tuesday, unless Israel commits to releasing veteran Palestinian prisoners, a senior Palestinian source has told Haaretz.

The source, who is close to the negotiations, confirmed to Haaretz Thursday that chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat had had been invited by the Americans to meet with Justice Minister Tzipi Livni in the United States, but added that America had specified that the basis for resuming talks was the 1967 borders.

He maintained, however, that the Palestinians would not participate in negotiations without a prior decision by Israel to release Palestinian prisoners imprisoned since before the Oslo Accords, including those with Israeli citizenship.

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Any partial release of prisoners will be received with anger by the Palestinian street and would be seen as a concession to which the Palestinian Authority is committed, the source added.

“Netanyahu did not say 67 and did not say a settlement freeze and did not agree to release the veteran prisoners. In such a situation, it is impossible to begin the talks,” the source said.

Read more at Haaretz.com

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