国际英语新闻：Fatah says not support talks before settlement freeze

RAMALLAH, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement doesn't support resumption of peace talks with Israel before the latter rescinds a recent decision to expand Jewish settlements, a senior Fatah official said Sunday.

The talks with Israel "won't be useful unless Israel withdraws its decisions," said Mohammed Dahlan, a member of Fatah Central Committee, in a news conference in Ramallah.

"It is difficult for the Palestinians to deal with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under his current policies," Dahlan added.

He called on Washington, which proposed Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to begin proximity talks, to give guarantees that Israel won't announce more settlement expansions when the negotiations start.

On March 9, Israeli Interior Ministry approved on March 9 the building of 1,600 housing units in a Jewish neighborhood across the Green Line in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians deem as the capital of a future state.

The announcement was made public as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was in the region to help the two sides start the proximity talks after Arab states gave their conditional backing to the U.S. proposal.

Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned Israel's move. Netanyahu admitted the timing of the announcement was inappropriate.

As Israel allowed far-rightist Jews to enter the compound that houses al-Aqsa Mosque, the Muslims' third holiest shrine, Dahlan said Netanyahu "deliberately makes tension in Jerusalem to escalate the situation and condemns the Palestinians on that."

Dahlan stressed that any Jewish breaking into the Noble Sanctuary "would cause security disorder." He added that if Israel accused the Palestinians of making troubles "because we defend our holy places, we would be proud of that charge."

Calling on people to prevent the Jewish extremists from entering the compound, Dahlan said the Palestinians "safeguard their land as they demand peace at the same time."