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RAMALLAH - A senior Palestinian official on Monday warned Israel that if it does not make peace with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas this year, it would not be able to make it within several years.
Mohamed Dahlan, member of Fatah party central committee told a political workshop held in the University of Nablus in the West Bank that president Abbas will not change his position concerning the legal legitimate rights of the Palestinians.
The young Palestinian leader, who left the Gaza Strip since Islamic Hamas movement seized control of the enclave by force in June 2007, slammed Israel for considering Abbas as "an extremist leader."
"President Abbas can never be an extremist in his thoughts and ideologies because he is looking forward to achieve just and comprehensive peace that get the Palestinians their legitimate rights," said Dahlan.
The Palestinians still refuse to resume the peace talks with Israel, unless it halts all settlement activities in the Palestinian territories, including east Jerusalem.
The United States has been exerting efforts and had offered a plan to launch four-month proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinians. However, these efforts failed amid Israel's insistence to continue with settlement construction.
Dahlan expressed his party's support to the US attitude of imposing a political solution in the region based on the vision of US President Barack Obama, referring to the Arab and international community support of this attitude.
Meanwhile, Dahlan slammed Israel for detaining Abbas Zaki, member of Fatah central committee on Sunday after he joined a popular peaceful protest against Israel.
"Popular peaceful resistance is allowed by the international laws," said Dahlan, adding that his movement supports the popular peaceful struggle against Israel.