RAMALLAH- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday said Palestinian territories Israel occupied in 1967 would be the topic of the peace talks between the two sides. In an interview with the Ramallah-based al-Ayyam newspaper, Abbas said East Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as the capital of their future statehood, "must be part in any agreement we reach, and we only recognise Jerusalem as a land that was occupied in 1967." In 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in addition to some areas in Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. In 2005, Israel withdrew its forces and settlers from Gaza. Earlier, Abbas said the direct talks, which the United States brokered after 15 months of stall, will focus on the border issue since an agreement on that thorny problem would pave the way for settling other final-status issues. Abbas said the one-year ultimatum which Washington set for reaching a framework agreement between Israel and the Palestinians "is enough."
