Palestinian president demands Israeli settlement freeze before he’ll resume peace talks

Abbas demands Israel halt building settlements

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has delivered a tough speech on peace-making with Israel, saying there’s no way he’ll resume negotiations without an Israeli settlement freeze.

Abbas also said Monday that Israel is defined by the borders it had before the 1967 Mideast War and “not one centimeter more.”

In 1967, Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem — territories the Palestinians seek for their state. In previous talks, negotiators had discussed the idea of a land swap that would enable Israel to keep some West Bank land.

Abbas rejected previous Israeli demands that the Palestinians not only recognize the state of Israel but recognize Israel as a Jewish state.