U.S. official: Israeli, PA road map obligations not equally important

[Behind the Aegis]

A senior U.S. State Department official said Friday that Israeli and Palestinian obligations undertaken in the "road map" peace plan are not of equal importance.

The official, who requested to remain anonymous, said the Palestinian Authority's commitment to fight terror is more crucial than Israel's to freeze settlement construction and evacuate illegal settlement outposts. These actions form part of the road map's first stage.

The U.S. position on the issue of the PA's dismantling of armed Palestinian organizations has not changed following talks Thursday with PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas, the official emphasized.

However, he said the U.S. has reconciled itself to the PA's strategy of waiting to deal with Hamas until after the upcoming elections.

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