JERUSALEM: Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, announced last night his surprise decision not to run in next year’s presidential election in frustration at the lack of progress in resuming peace talks with Israel. Abbas, who became president nearly five years ago, had been expected to seek re-election, despite the deep factional divisions among his own people and the deadlock in returning to peace talks. But he said the Palestinians were “at a crossroads”. “I do not want to run for the coming presidential elections,” he said in a 15-minute speech on national television in which he summed up his achievements and his commitment to a negotiated two-state peace agreement. “This is not some kind of compromise or a manoeuvre,” he added. Abbas told his Fatah party of his decision on Wednesday night and the PLO leadership yesterday. Both urged him to reconsider. The Egyptian and Israeli presidents, as well as the Jordanian king, all called to urge him to stay on. It puts the Palestinians at a crucial juncture. Abbas was elected on a platform of negotiations towards a two-state agreement with Israel. His departure now would represent what many Palestinians already feel: that after nearly two decades, peace talks have proved futile and a two-state deal, with Israel and a viable Palestinian state living side-by-side, is out of reach. However, his careful choice of words appeared to leave space for him to change his mind and raised the possibility that, despite his denial, his speech was an attempt to convince the United States to apply more pressure on Israel so that peace talks can resume. Abbas also addressed the Israeli public, saying: “Peace is much more important than any political game for any party. Peace is much more important than any government coalition, especially if it might lead a country to an uncertain future. Peace is possible. I have always believed in this.” There are question marks over when the next elections will come. Presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for 24 January, but are widely expected to be delayed until June at the earliest because of a deep rift between the West Bank, run by Fatah, and Gaza, run by its Islamist rival, Hamas.