The news that Israel released 26 Palestinian prisoners today, Oct. 30, was accompanied by an Israeli Interior Ministry announcement that it will proceed with the plan to build 1,500 housing units in Ramat Shlomo, a settlement in the occupied West Bank that Israel considers part of Jerusalem. As the Palestinian families welcomed the freed prisoners, the spokesman of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas declared the settlement decision to be "destructive for the peace process."

Well, better late than never! To reinforce this statement, Abbas, when welcoming the released prisoners, said, "The settlements are void, void, void." Either Abbas is in denial or his spokesman has adequately described the outcome. There is no question that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans for each release of prisoners, in installments, to be accompanied by establishing settlements in installments!

The serious question is whether US Secretary of State John Kerry knew of this prisoner release and settlement transaction. If this is not the agreement that Kerry came to with Netanyahu, it is hoped that a clarification statement is forthcoming.

Before it is too late, this should lead Abbas to reintroduce the Palestinian state under occupation, which is recognized by the 153 UN members, as the only body that can negotiate the rights of the Palestinians, as opposed to  the so-called “peace process” discussions. If the Palestinian state under occupation, as spelled out by UN resolution, is not the negotiating authority, then the Palestinian National Authority in Ramallah would be erroneously using the term “negotiations,” when in reality it would only be undertaking futile discussions, with Israel buying time to further expand and control Palestinian territories.