Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday that he was “optimistic” about the efforts made by US Secretary of State John Kerry to resume peace talks with Israel.
“We are optimistic because Kerry is serious and determined to achieve a solution,” Abbas told reporters after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta in Ramallah.
“We hope the day will come soon when we would be able to return to the negotiating table and discuss the basic issues between us.”
Abbas noted that he had held three meeting with Kerry during the latter’s recent trip to the region to discuss ways of reviving the peace process.
Abbas said that the talks did not only deal with the resumption of the peace talks, but also various issues concerning Palestinians and Israelis.
Abbas said that Kerry presented some good and constructive ideas. However, he added, the Palestinians still need “additional clarifications and explanations” in order to return to the talks.
Kerry has promised to return to the region within a week, Abbas added.
He said that there was no need for him and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to meet in a tent. “We could meet either in my home or his home,” Abbas said. “There is no reason why we should not meet at any time.”
Abbas reiterated the Palestinians’ keenness for peace, saying: “They are our neighbors and we recognize them as such. We must live together in security and stability.”
Meanwhile, Chief PLO Negotiator Saeb Erekat urged the Israeli government to fulfill http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Abbas-praises-Kerry-says-window-for-peace-deal-closing-318442obligations toward the peace process by halting construction in settlements and releasing Palestinian prisoners.
He also urged the Israeli government to accept the pre-1967 lines as the basis for a two-state solution.
Erekat’s remarks came during a series of meetings he held Tuesday with diplomats from France, Germany, China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Japan.
“How can Kerry’s efforts succeed when the Israeli government announces plans to build 930 housing units in Har Homa?” Erekat asked. He also noted that statements by some Israeli ministers against a Palestinian state had a negative impact on Kerry’s mission.