Saeb Erekat

Palestinian officials who decry Gilo colony in public, offered it to Israel in negotiations

Palestinian officials in Ramallah have condemned Israel’s recently announced decision to expand by 1,100 Jewish-only housing units the illegal settlement of Gilo built on land stolen from the occupied West Bank villages of Beit Jala, Beit Safafa and Sharafat. But what they say in public is at odds with their private willingless to hand the settlement over to Israel in its entirety. Condemnation from “chief negotiator” A 27 September press release states: 

Saeb Erekat denies Washington Post claim Palestinians dropped settlement freeze demand

The PLO “chief negotiator” Saeb Erekat has categorically denied a report in The Washington Post suggesting that the Palestinian Authority (PA) leadership that he represents has dropped its insistence that Israel halt settlement construction in the occupied West Bank before resuming US-brokered negotiations with Israel.