PA Negotiator Erekat Rules Out Extending Talks beyond Nine Months

Senior Palestinian Authority Saeb Erekat negotiator Saeb Erekat has dashed and ideas that the “nine-month peace talks” will be extended and told the PA’s official radio station Monday, "We turn down any extension.”

Erekat said  his previous remarks have been misinterpreted and clarified,  "I said that if we reach an agreement on all final status issues, we could continue to discuss the details,” he said.

The U.S. State Dept. jumped on last week’s report of his marks that the talks could be extended if both the Palestinian Authority and Israel agree on key points, which is far from “an agreement on all final status issues.”

The nine-month period ends on April 29, and  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is maneuvering to  force Israel to accept almost all of Abbas;’ demands and Abbas to give up something, no matter how symbolic, to bring President Barack Obama a gift-wrapped certificate of peace.