Abbas Chooses Netanyahu as a Peace Partner
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- Published on Tuesday, 01 May 2012 11:19
PNN
On Tuesday, 1st May, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the Tunisian parliament on Monday, "I choose you Netanyahu as my partner of peace. With whom else can I make peace?"
Abbas also said that Netanyahu must choose between settlement and peace.
In a statement to Tunisia's interim parliament, Abbas re-stated his demands from Israel: to halt settlement construction, recognize of the two-state solution and to accept the principle of Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.
Abbas expressed his willingness to resume the negotiations with Israel, if Israel accepted to cease settlement construction.
Abbas also said that the Palestinian Authority 's request that the UN recognize Palestine as an independent state would remain in effect, and that there is no contradiction between the two processes. Palestinians also decided to take the issue of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons to the UN.
Last month, a meeting was held between a delegation of senior Palestinian official and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, where they presented to him a letter from Abbas calling on Netanyahu to return to negotiations.
Netanyahu, last month also called on the Palestinian leadership to come back to the negotiation table with Israel, stressing his willingness to discuss all of the issues in the conflict.
