NEGOTIATIONS OVER BEFORE THEY BEGIN?

Abbas will demand Palestinian right of return
Interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, outlining his views on the conflict with Israel, told parliament on Tuesday that he would follow in Yasser Arafat's footsteps and demand that Israel recognize the "right of return" of Palestinian refugees. He also appeared to send the message that he'll stand tough in future talks with Israel. ....

Abbas' ideas about a peace deal with Israel have always been close to those of Arafat: a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with east Jerusalem as a capital, and Israeli recognition of the "right of return" of some four million refugees and their descendants.

The refugee issue has contributed to the failure of previous peace talks. Israel has said it is willing to repatriate a few thousand refugees as a good-will gesture, but that absorbing millions would destroy the Jewish character of the state.

At a memorial ceremony for Arafat at the Palestinian parliament, Abbas said he would walk in the footsteps of the late Palestinian leader. "We promise you (Arafat) that our heart will not rest until we achieve the right of return for our people and end the tragic refugee issue," he said.