Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Saturday rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state within temporary borders, an idea he said was recently raised for restarting peace talks. In a speech to leaders of his Fatah movement, Abbas urged Israel to resume serious negotiations on the terms of full Palestinian statehood, adding that such talks should wrap up within two years. Israel and the Palestinians remain far apart on the framework for such talks, and US Mideast envoy George Mitchell returned to the region on Friday for a new push to narrow the divide. The US has proposed indirect talks in which Mitchell would shuttle between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. However, the Palestinians say they won't engage unless Israel agrees not to start new housing projects for Jews in traditionally Arab east Jerusalem, the sector of the city claimed by the Palestinians as a future capital. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected a building freeze in occupied East Jerusalem. In his speech, Abbas referred to recent proposals for a temporary state but did not elaborate. “Frankly, we will not accept the state with temporary borders, because it is being offered these days,” he said. He said the Palestinians were being asked to “take a state with provisional borders on 40 or 50 percent, and after that we will see.” An Israeli newspaper reported earlier this week that Netanyahu made such a proposal. However, Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdeneh and an Israeli government official both denied that Israel formally presented the idea. Abbas, meanwhile, called for an open dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, saying time for a so-called two-state solution is running out, despite strong support on both sides. “I call for an open dialogue with all Israeli factions, leaders, an open dialogue,” he said. “We are ready for dialogue, because we know the overwhelming majority of Israelis support the two-state solution.” In the Gaza Strip Saturday, Israeli gunfire wounded two Palestinians and a woman from Malta who were among a group of protesters marching toward the border with Israel, according to Palestinian health official Moawiya Hassanain. The military confirmed the shooting, and said soldiers opened fire to get protesters away from the border fence.
