Ramallah- Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat Thursday called Israel's announcement that it would suspend construction in the occupied West Bank for 10 months "propaganda," and urged the US not to fall for it. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party meanwhile also rejected the Israeli move.
Erekat in a written statement sent to journalists called on Washington and the rest of the international community to commit Israel to a full settlement freeze, not a partial one.
Hardline Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a news conference in Jerusalem late Wednesday that his government would suspend construction in West Bank settlements for 10 months, but this would exclude public buildings such as synagogues, schools and kindergartens as well as the construction of some 3,000 residential apartments already begun.
It would also exclude East Jerusalem - or Jewish settlements built within the city limits but on occupied land, beyond the "green line" separating Israel and the West Bank.
"I don't know how such a decision helps in resuming the peace process," said Erekat, adding "we hope that the US and the world won't be dragged by Netanyahu's propaganda."
"They should focus their efforts and time on committing Israel to fully stop settlement in order to resume the peace negotiations soon," said Erekat.
Fatah's Central Committee in a statement said the Israeli offer was "nothing new."
It said it proved "once again that this government still insists to continue the policy of escaping from the peace process."
"Settlement must completely stop, not only in the West Bank, and not partially, but it must completely stop in both the West Bank and Jerusalem," it said.
Washington had already welcomed the move as a "positive step," with both President Barack Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton saying they hoped the gesture would enable a revival of long-stalled peace talks.
They nonetheless also noted that it "falls short" of a full freeze.
