Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas told reporters that Palestinians will "take action" against Israel vis-a-vis international bodies if peace talks fail, according to Agence France-Presse.
The president told reporters late Monday in Ramallah that "The [peace] talks are going through great difficulties because of the obstacles created by Israel. If we don't obtain our rights through negotiations, we have the right to go to international institutions. The commitment to refrain from action at the UN ends after the nine-month period agreed for talks."
In order to support the development of the peace process, Palestinians agreed to suspend action against Israel through the UN and other international bodies for the duration of the talks. However, the talks, which resumed in July after the latest 2010 negotiation ended in deadlock, have already encountered major obstacles, such as new Israeli settlement plans, that could derail the process permanently.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government have planned and approved the construction of thousands of new settler homes in the Palestinian West Bank since July, an act considered illegal under international law. The Palestinian negotiation team party to the peace talks had even given its resignation publicly in response to Israel's construction plans, but Abbas has not yet officially accepted it.
US Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to Ramallah, who described Israel's settlements as a deal-breaker that could ignite a third Palestinian uprising, is scheduled to meet with Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this week in efforts to revive the rapidly deteriorating peace process.
