Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas threatened to review the peace accords with Israel and restated his list of preconditions for any further talks.
Palestinian Authority (PA) Chair Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday threatened to review the political, economic, and security agreements with Israel, which were co-signed as part of the peace accords between the two parties.
Abbas stated in a news conference with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić in Belgrade that “Israel must stop violating agreements and commit to them,” as quoted by Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Abbas demanded that Israel stop construction in Judea and Samaria as well as in Jerusalem, and he accused Israel of carrying out “Judaization activities in Jerusalem and burying what he claims are the city’s the Islamic and Christian religious identity and features.” He also insisted that Palestinian terrorists held in Israeli prisons must be released.
He reiterated his refusal of any temporary resolutions or borders in a peace deal.
Abbas has repeatedly stated these demands as preconditions to any diplomatic negotiations with Israel, which, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he consistently evades.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu. (Erez Harodi/Osim Tzilum)
“I committed to two states at Bar Ilan,” Netanyahu said during his address at the closing of the 2015 IDC Herzliya Conference on Tuesday, referring to his historical 2009 address. “The solution as I see it is a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes Israel as a Jewish state.”
“The Palestinians expect us to recognize a Palestinian state. But they won’t recognize a Jewish state for the Jewish people. That’s what we want. Mutual recognition,” he stated, adding that he has been trying to engage Abbas in negotiations for the past six and a half years, but to no avail.
By: Max Gelber, United with Israel
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