Israel-PA talks tactic for boosting settlements

The so-called peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) are nothing but a delay tactic for the Tel Aviv regime to buy time for its expansionist policies, an activist tells Press TV.

In an interview on Friday, Ken O’Keefe said the Palestinian Authority should not resume talks with Israel as such negotiations will only serve Tel Aviv in its bid to develop illegal settlements.

“I do not believe that the talks should continue at all. I think everyone is very aware of the fact…that these peace talks are in fact nothing more than a delay tactic to allow Israel to continue its settlement activity, to increase its settlements in the occupied territories, and there was never any chance that this was going to result in a just and peaceful settlement between [Israel] and the Palestinian nation itself,” he said.

“The whole point of this again is to only further solidify the Zionist Jewish expansion into the West Bank,” he added, describing negotiations as a “façade” which will prove ineffective in the future just like before.

The Israeli-PA talks reached a new deadlock when the Tel Aviv regime failed to free the final batch of 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of an agreement between the PA and Israel for the resumption of US-sponsored negotiations.

The release of Palestinian prisoners is not the only thorny issue that has been hindering the so-called peace talks between the PA and Tel Aviv.

Since the resumption of the direct talks last July, Palestinians have also objected to the Israeli regime’s illegal settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Israeli settlements are considered illegal under international law. However, defiant Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the settlement construction is part of Tel Aviv’s policy and will not stop.