Palestinians insist on settlement freeze before peace talks

‏         The Palestinian Authority has reiterated its refusal to return to the negotiating table unless Israel stops settlement construction and released Palestinian prisoners. In response to Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu's call to renew peace talks with the PA, chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the Palestinians were not setting conditions for returning to the negotiating table.‏ "These are not Palestinian conditions, but obligations that Israel is required to fulfill," Erekat said. He said that there would be no EU initiative to resume the peace talks without US involvement. Erekat called on the administration of US President Barack Obama to "stop treating Israel as if it were a country above the law." The Palestinians, he added, would not "repeat the lunacy of returning to the negotiations while Israel is not fulfilling its obligations."