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Dublin: 13 °C Tuesday 21 May, 2013

Palestinian Authority and Israel issue joint statement on peace

Both sides say they are committed to peace in rare joint statement.

File photo: President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and Prime Minister Netanhayu in the White House, 2010.
File photo: President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and Prime Minister Netanhayu in the White House, 2010.
Image: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak/PA Images

OFFICIALS FROM ISRAEL and the Palestinian Authority have issued a rare joint statement reaffirming their commitment to peace.

The statement was issued following a meeting between Israeli envoy Yitzak Molcho and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office tweeted today that the joint statement said:

Israel and the Palestinian Authority are committed to achieving peace. The sides hope that [the] exchange of letters between President Abbas and PM Netanyahu will further this  goal.

Al Jazeera reports that while Netanyahu has called on Abbas to return to peace talks without any pre-conditions, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat says that Abbas could renew his push for UN membership for a Palestine state if the Israeli leader does not respond positively to key issues outlined by Abbas.

Abbas wants to know Israel’s position on a potential two-state solution to the conflict which would be based on pre-1967 borders. He also wants information on the release of all Palestinian prisoners and an end to settlement activity.

Yesterday, the New York Times reported that Abbas said that Palestinian security forces are being denied access to weapons by Israel and that, as a result, security in the West Bank is being hindered. He added that he is seriously concerned about what could happen if any of the hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike dies.

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Comments (6 Comments)

  • As a Zionist, I can assure the previous writer that the “control of the world” figures nowhere in Zionism, our concern is the control, under G-d of the land given us by Him (Baruch HaShem). perhaps he should consider who does wish to control the world, the activity of Islamic Fundamentalists in every part of the world would respectfully suggest that it is the Islamic enemies of Zionism that wish to control the world. Perhaps the gentleman would get his facts clear before posting again.

    Reply
  • Frank Faldo “Israel are bullies”, how do you justify that. It is not the Israelis who daily target innocent men women and children with rocket attacks, rather it is the enemies of Israel in Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who launch rocket attacks against Israeli people, military and civillian, men women and children alike. Israel only reacts to acts of terrorism and where possible, ensures that no non terrorist victims.

    Reply
  • Israel are bullies simple as that.

    Reply
  • Empty words, prospect of peace with a multitude of preconditions. It seems to me that both sides enjoy being in a peace process, but neither wants it to come to fruition. It’s sort of like organized, controlled war. Mad.

    Reply
  • Mo Gp 13/05/12 #

    Steven,
    that conflict will never be end simply because the Zionist want it to be continuo to allow them control the world and to abuse america and Europe for more hundred years, the Israeli and Zionist are guiding the USA to a trap hell every few years they create war after war simply because that kind of people can not live without conflicts and unrest

    Reply

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