Abbas aide says declaring independence a possibility

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinians should declarean independent state unilaterally if peace talks with Israelcontinue to falter, a top aide to Palestinian President MahmoudAbbas said on Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear if Abbas shared the view ofYasser Abed Rabbo, but Saeb Erekat, another senior Palestiniannegotiator, voiced opposition to any unilateral declaration ofindependence.

Abed Rabbo, a member of the Palestinian negotiating team,made his comments a day after the latest round of top-leveltalks with Israel.

"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," Abed Rabbo told Reuters.

He drew an analogy to Kosovo, which declared independencefrom Serbia on Sunday.

"Kosovo is not better than us. We deserve independence evenbefore Kosovo, and we ask for the backing of the United Statesand the European Union for our independence," Abed Rabbo said.

But Erekat said the Palestine Liberation Organisation hadalready declared independence in 1988.

"Now we need real independence, not a declaration. We needreal independence by ending the occupation. We are not Kosovo.We are under Israeli occupation and for independence we need toacquire independence," Erekat said.

ACCELERATION

Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met on Tuesdayto accelerate U.S.-backed peace talks launched at a conferencein Annapolis, Maryland in November, the first formalnegotiations in seven years.

The negotiations, which Washington hopes will yield astatehood agreement this year, have been stalled by disputesover Israeli plans to build new homes on occupied land nearJerusalem and Olmert's insistence on putting off talks on thefate of the holy city.

Abed Rabbo was the first senior Palestinian negotiator todiscuss declaring independence unilaterally since a Palestinianuprising erupted in 2000.

"We are in favour of continuing negotiations, but Israel isbuying time and trying to bypass the results of Annapolis...wewon't accept this and therefore we should declareindependence," Abed Rabbo said, without giving a timeframe forsuch a move.

He accused Israel of buying time to bolster Jewishsettlements around Jerusalem and continue building a barrier inthe occupied West Bank, cautioning that Palestinians could beleft with a "fragmented state".

(Writing by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia)