Israel and Palestinians must get serious on talks - U.S

By Wafa Amr

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - A senior U.S. official said on Saturday Israel and the Palestinians must decide quickly on the form of agreement they will begin negotiating next week to achieve Palestinian statehood.

The official said the United States wants both sides to make progress in negotiations on final status issues and seal a deal by the end of 2008, a target date set by U.S. President George W. Bush at a peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland last year.

"The sides have to fix on this pretty quickly, on what it is they're trying to work with. We want to make as much progress as we can within the time available," the U.S. official told reporters.

Israel and the Palestinians are at odds over the form of agreement they want to reach by the end of this year.

Israeli officials said they are seeking an agreement that would outline a "framework" for a future Palestinian state with implementation delayed until the Palestinians can ensure Israel's security.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants a final peace treaty to enable him to declare a Palestinian state by the end of 2008.

Palestinian officials say a "framework" agreement would require further detailed and lengthy talks on core "final status" issues such as the fate of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees, borders, and the removal of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

A senior Abbas aide told Reuters the Israeli idea for a deal means "we would not be declaring a state by the end of 2008. It is not what we want and it would undermine Abbas' peace efforts".