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M. Continuo

Abbas aide says declaring independence a possibility


    RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - A top aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday the Palestinians should consider declaring an independent state unilaterally if peace talks with Israel continue to falter.

    Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of the Palestinian negotiatingteam with the Israelis, told Reuters that if they could notreach a deal with the Jewish state, the Palestinians couldconsider declaring independence like Kosovo did on Sunday.

    "If things are not going in the direction of actuallyhalting settlement activities, if things are not going in thedirection of continuous and serious negotiations, then weshould take the step and announce our independenceunilaterally," he said.

    (Reporting by Mohammed Assadi, Writing by Ari Rabinovitch;Editing by Michael Winfrey)