Chief Palestinian Negotiator, Dr. Sa'eb Erekat, stated on Saturday that the Palestinian Authority is on the verge of collapse as the government in Ramallah and its negotiations team are consumed by peace talks with Israel while the Israeli government refuses to freeze settlement construction, and continues to install roadblocks.Dr. Ereikat said that the Palestinian Authority might collapse if no peace deal is achieved by the end of this year as stated in the Annapolis conference.
During a meeting with reporters in Ramallah city on Thursday Ereikat said that that the failure of the P.A will not only affect the Palestinians, but will also affect Israel and the surrounding countries.
He also said that the popularity of President Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah movement had declined as a result of the stalled peace process in addition to the continuous Israeli violations which include the construction and expansion of settlement and the ongoing siege.
Ereikat reported that the Palestinian Negotiations Team in Ramallah was very disappointed by the statements of the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, who said that Israel will continue the construction and expansion of settlements in and around occupied Jerusalem.
On his side, Abbas said that peace talks are the only means to achieve a solution but admitted that time is running out to reach a peace deal before the end of this year.
In an earlier statement last week, Ereikat also warned of a PA collapse of the Palestinian Authority and Israel fail to reach an agreement soon.
