Palestine papers are distortion of truth, say Palestinian officials

[oberliner]

Palestinian officials today lashed out at the publication of leaked documents revealing a secret agreement to accept Israel's annexation of all but one of the settlements built illegally in East Jerusalem - one of the most sensitive issues to be resolved in the conflict with Israel.

The unprecedented proposal, revealed by al-Jazeera TV and the Guardian, was one of several concessions that have caused shockwaves among Palestinians and across the Arab world. It appears in a cache of thousands of pages of confidential Palestinian records covering more than a decade of negotiations and which provide an extraordinary and vivid insight into the disintegration of the 20-year peace process.

Yasser Abed-Rabbo, a senior PLO leader, attacked al-Jazeera and its Qatari owners over what he called "a distortion of the truth" designed to create confusion. Speaking in Ramallah, headquarters of the Palestinian Authority, he called the leak "a propaganda game through the media in order to brainwash Palestinian citizens".

Saeb Erekat, the PLO's chief negotiator, who features in many of the documents, said: "We don't have anything to hide. taken out of context and contain lies ... Al-Jazeera's information is full of distortions and fraud."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/24/palestine-papers-distortion-truth-reaction