Abbas Details Land Demands
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, today laid out his most specific demands for the borders of a future independent state, calling for a full Israeli withdrawal from all territories captured in the 1967 Mideast war.
Mr. Abbas's claim comes as Israeli and Palestinian Arab negotiating teams are trying to hammer out a joint vision for a future peace deal in time for an American-hosted conference next month.
With Israel seeking to retain parts of the West Bank and east Jerusalem, Mr. Abbas's comments appeared to set the stage for tough negotiations, which are expected to include complicated arrangements such as land swaps and shared control over holy sites.
In a television interview, Mr. Abbas said the Palestinian Arabs want to establish a state on 6,205 square kilometers (2,400 square miles) of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It was the first time he has given a precise number for the amount of land he is seeking.
"We have 6,205 square kilometers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip," Mr. Abbas told Palestine TV. "We want it as it is."
According to Palestinian Arab negotiating documents, the Palestinian Arab demands include all of the Gaza Strip, West Bank, east Jerusalem, and small areas along the West Bank frontier that were considered no-man's land before the 1967 war.
Mr. Abbas said his claim is backed by U.N. resolutions. "This is our vision for the Palestinian independent state with full sovereignty on its borders, water and resources."
An Israeli government spokeswoman, Miri Eisin, declined to comment, saying she did not want to prejudice negotiations. But the Palestinian demands appear to exceed anything that Israel would be willing to offer.
