Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) will meet Tuesday afternoon with the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell.
The two will discuss the prospect of renewing talks between the PA and Israel and the possibility of Abbas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting next week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Netanyahu was supposed to have met Mitchell Monday, but postponed the meeting to today to take part in the funeral of Capt. Asaf Ramon, son of Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon.
Palestinian negotiator Yasser Abed Rabbo, secretary-general of the Fatah Executive Committee, told Haaretz that the Palestinian demand for a complete building freeze in settlements remains.
Without such a freeze, he said, there is no possibility for a political process. "Why should we start a process we know won't be of any use?," he asked.
However, Abed Rabbo also noted the PA has yet to hear a detailed American proposal, and that Abbas was undecided about meeting Netanyahu.
"The decision will be made after Abu Mazen meets with Mitchell and hears what he has to say," Abed Rabbo said.
He told reporters that if a meeting does take place, its primary objective will be determining Netanyahu's stands on political issues.
Abbas confirmed he would attend the General Assembly regardless of the prospects of such a meeting.
Observers say that Abbas is placed in a difficult conundrum.
If he meets Netanyahu, Hamas and opposition voices within Fatah could accuse him of yielding to Israeli dictates.
Hamas attacked Abbas earlier this week, saying that while Netanyahu managed to talk the American administration out of a settlement freeze, Abbas was expressing excessive willingness to negotiate.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat denied yesterday that a meeting with Netanyahu would signal a beginning of negotiations, but there is little doubt this is how it will be perceived by the wider public.
Such an outcome would damage Abbas' standing, as it would present him as a weak leader, and will imply he is contradicting the decisions of the Sixth Fatah General Assembly, which ruled not to open negotiations until all building in settlements stops.
However, since the American administration clearly signaled its interest in a trilateral summit, Abbas risks being presented as a refusing a peace offer, while allowing Israel to claim it has no partner for a peace process.
For all these reasons, Abbas and the Palestinian leadership are keenly expecting an American offer that would allow them to present a Palestinian achievement to counterbalance Israel's construction in the territories.
This would allow Abbas to leave for Washington without sacrificing too much in the way of needed political capital.
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