Saeb Erekat Quotations

With this (Israeli) government, we do not have trust or confidence. Ross is simply helping make the process survive.

Settlements and peace are two parallels that won't meet. I hope their choice will be peace, not settlements.

Mr. Gilad knows very well that the whole thing was unilateral. We had to pick up the pieces after they left without them even telling us when they were going to leave.

Mr. Gilad knows very well that the whole thing was unilateral, ... We had to pick up the pieces after they left without them even telling us when they were going to leave.

Mr. Ross is breathing artificial life into the peace process.

Of course, Mrs. Arafat did not mean poison gas, but tear gas. We agreed with President Clinton that the Palestinians and Israelis must resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiations.

must understand that he must choose between settlements and peace. He cannot have both.

If we (Israelis and Palestinians) don't honor the time line I don't think we have an agreement any more.

I believe this pre-empts and prejudges issues that are reserved for final status negotiations. Any talk of pre-empting and prejudging is counterproductive to the peace process.

He will ask for assistance in holding an international conference for peace as preparation to negotiate a permanent agreement in accordance with the road map.

We are fully committed to carry out all our obligations emanating from this report, providing that we implement honestly and without any games -- the full report, page to page, without being selective.

His words are (that) he won't give us anything on Jerusalem, on the (West Bank) settlements, on our refugees. What kind of peace can we make with those words?

He decided not to go to New York because of the (Israeli) handover of the (Gaza) settlements and the security situation.

I think we have a major problem in the lack of credibility of the peace process and the trust between the two sides.

I think we have 3,000 more obstacles to peace and we will have, if this program is carried out, 3,000 reasons to undermine President Bush's efforts for a two-state solution.

Refugees, Jerusalem, borders, Jewish settlements and water are issues reserved to the final-status talks between the two sides and nothing should pre-empt or pre-judge the outcome of the final status talks before they begin.

President Abbas has reiterated that cutting off fund for infrastructure or the annual budget will spell a humanitarian disaster that affects all people.

start thinking in the mentality of a partner.

We need the help of the Europeans to train us, to provide us with the technology needed, with the equipment with the machines, and they're going to be our partners in this,

The amendments mean pursuing Jewish settlements and not resuming the negotiations from the point where they left off.

I would not advise raising any expectations. Today's meeting demonstrated that there is a gap that exists between the two sides.

We invite Mr. Sharon to resume final-status talks so we can reach the end game.

We hope that we can conclude an agreement this year and with that we can have our own state by agreement, ... The decision last night was to recommit ourselves to peace as a strategic option.

We had in-depth discussions and very serious talks on all issues. There were no results. The differences and obstacles are still there.

We had in-depth and serious discussions. There was nothing new today and the gaps remain where they are. We agreed to meet tomorrow.

We formed an investigation committee to look into this. I don't know if it's true or not, but we want fair elections. We will not allow such things to happen.

We are really concerned. We hope that competition (to succeed him) will not be at our expense, meaning more settlements, more walls, more incursions, more assassinations, more occupation, more dictates.

We are continuing efforts ... to try to resume the peace talks and stabilize the security situation.

We want to agree on preparations to resume final-status talks which should commence in the middle of next month.

We asked the US administration to continue with its support and not to enforce collective punishment, which will have disastrous consequences.

we will continue to see this government's policy of stealing (land) and wasting time.

We didn't get responses on forming a Palestinian-Israeli joint committee to follow up and observe the operation of distributing ballots, voting and the movement of voters as well as candidates.

We have a difficult task ahead of us. We are determined to exert every possible effort to expedite the implementation of the interim agreement on the ground.

What they are doing in the negotiations and in the preparations for negotiations is to define the limitations on us, ... whether you call us self-governing or you call us a state.

I see ourselves in the opposition, not in the coalition.

These settlements and peace are two parallels that won't meet. I hope their choice will be peace, not settlements.

The most important thing is to focus on the substance of the meeting and not the timing.

so the truth can be determined once and for all.

This is a real setback for the peace process.

This is something that Netanyahu has been trying to do for a while, with both the European and American efforts. He has chosen settlement and the destruction of the foundation of the peace accords.

The way to peace and stability is through an end to occupation,

This delay wasn't because of disputes or anger, but because we have to maximize our efforts to revive this peace process. We should begin a process of regaining the trust between us. That's what this is about.

It will take much more than one visit by Madeleine Albright to deal with the damages inflicted on the peace process by the government of Mr. Netanyahu.

They control the water, the sky and the passages. How can you say occupation is over?

It's really unfortunate that the only thing that Mr. Netanyahu has decided to stop is the peace process with us.

smear campaign aimed at continuing unilateral moves and dictation on the ground, rather than negotiations.

The issue of January elections cannot be isolated from the results today, but we can't say it will be an exact copy.

The Israelis should be building bridges for the Palestinians for the future of both peoples, for the generations to come, and not to heighten the hate, the fear and the desperation.

I hope they will succeed in allowing goods to come into Gaza as of tomorrow to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

I hope that the withdrawal will be a day of opportunity ù and also a day of law.

I'm afraid that we will not have a peace process anymore, ... I would say 'God help Palestinians and Israelis' because to have a meaningful peace process means that we would continue where we left off.

I hope that at this critical period, we will concentrate on the bigger picture, ... The answer to extremists on both sides sworn to sabotage this process must be a big 'No.'

international protection for the Palestinians is something that must be taken seriously by the United States and the international community.

If he thinks that we will go back to negotiate with him over (the U.S.) package, he's mistaken.

I don't think we can classify it legally as an international border now because Gaza is not free of occupation.

Carving out a so-called buffer zone is tantamount to reoccupying Gaza. We are exerting maximum efforts to restore calm.

Carving out a so-called buffer zone is tantamount to reoccupying Gaza.

The French report did not indicate any of these things,

We are a people with no army, no navy, no air force, no arms. It's people, thousands of people, who are feeling, sensing the sense of urgency, fearing for the president of their life - the life of their president, trying to protect their democratic choice, because Arafat is the elected leader of the Palestinian people.

Since Eve negotiated Adam, I am the most disadvantaged negotiator in history of mankind. I have no army, no navy, no air force, no economy.

I'm telling Palestinians, "Don't use violence." We're going to use the civilized means of international law to achieve our goals, our independence, our freedom.

Look, I am a Palestinian elected representative from Jericho. If a Palestinian wants to sell his fruit anywhere in the West Bank, he goes to the Israeli civil administration. If a Palestinian sick person wants to leave a hospital, he goes through the Israeli civil administration. Nobody can leave or enter my constituency without Israeli permission. Israel is, in effect, resuming the occupation.

Now, more than ever, the international community must act.

It’s impossible to say who has guns in Gaza anymore. The ballots are the only thing that can stop the violence at this point.