President Mahmoud Abbas intends to resign amid lack of progress in the Middle East peace process, as the chief Palestinian negotiator today accused Tel Aviv of portraying the Palestinian Authority (PA) as “untrustworthy”, a media report said.

Palestinian President Abbas has told the White House that he intends to resign from his post, Israel’s Channel 10 reported, a move that could be a setback to efforts to rekindle the stalled peace process in Middle East.

Abbas told US officials that he sees no chance of advancing the peace process with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in power, the report said.

Saeb Erekat, chief Palestinian negotiator, today lashed out at Israel, saying Israel’s position on West Bank settlement building and other key issues was “intolerable.” “You’re presenting us as “untrustworthy bastards,” while the fact of the matter is that you’re the ones foot-dragging and refusing to end the occupation,” Erekat told Israel’s Army Radio.

“Netanyahu says he is ready to return to negotiations, but this the same old tune,” he said, adding “Every [Israeli] government that comes along demands that we come to the discussions without pre-conditions, after we have already succeeded in reaching agreements with previous governments”.

Abbas, whose popularity among the Palestinians is at its lowest ever, also expressed his disappointment over US administration’s “capitulation” to Jerusalem on the issue of West Bank settlement construction, the TV report said.

The Palestinians have demanded a complete freeze of all Israeli settlement activities as a precondition to the resumption of peace negotiations.

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