US State Department Critical of Palestinian Chief Negotiator’s “Unhelpful” Comments

A spokeswoman for the United States Department of State said on Wednesday that remarks made by chief Palestinian negotiator Sa’ib Ariqat were “unhelpful, especially coming from someone involved in the negotiations, indeed the lead negotiator.” Earlier this week, Ariqat used an interview with Al-Jazeera during a visit to the UK to threaten an economic boycott of Israel and initiate proceedings against Israelis at the International Criminal Court in The Hague if the talks mediated by US Secretary of State John Kerry end in failure. With the end of the nine-month period originally agreed to by the parties for the Kerry mission, it’s obvious that the SecState will be seeking an extension. To that end, Ariqat closed the door, telling his interviewer that, “We will not extend the negotiations for one minute beyond 29th April.” He also predicted the “collapse of the Palestinian Authority” if the talks fail, and a “very ugly” situation to follow. On Wednesday, SecState Kerry met in Paris with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during what the US called “an important point in the negotiations” between Israel and the Palestinians. Both sides are pressuring Kerry to tweak his “framework agreement” to their liking. The document will arguably be the guide to the talks that are meant to produce a comprehensive agreement.