Ma'an -- President Mahmoud Abbas will start a five-day visit to Arab and European countries in an effort to explain the Palestinian attitude toward a resumption of peace negotiations with Israel.
| "No peace until them Juices withdraw to ten meters into the Mediterranean Sea. All the rest we consider occupied territory." |
He arrived in Amman on Friday, from where he was to depart later on Saturday.
The tour comes ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting scheduled for September. Palestinians suspect US President Barack Obama may announce his vision for reactivating the peace process in the region.
| "I fear there will be no peace until the Israelis withdraw to the Mediterranean Sea. All the rest is occupied territory, and it is unreasonable to expect the Palestinians to negotiate until Israel makes that first gesture as a confidence-building measure." |
Abbas was expected to visit Qatar, Libya, Italy, Spain, and France before returning via Cairo and Amman. |