Netanyahu-Abbas meeting 'possible' in Moscow after series of attempts
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering an offer by Russian President Vladimir Putin to host talks in Moscow between the Israeli leader and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Netanyahu's office said on Monday.
It said in a statement that Netanyahu, at a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, "presented Israel's position whereby he is always ready to meet (Abbas) without preconditions and is therefore considering the Russian president's proposal and the timing for a possible meeting." Abbas's office has said the Palestinians are ready to participate in any peace initiative aimed at a "comprehensive and fair solution."
"The Palestinian authority is not opposed, in principle, to a meeting between President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu", PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said on Saturday. "It has been confirmed to a number of countries in recent days that there is no obstacle in principle to convening a meeting between President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu," Maliki told the Ramallah- based Al-Ayyam daily.
However, Palestinian leaders also say years of negotiations with the Israelis have not ended the occupation of the West Bank, and they have more recently pursued an international strategy. They say an Abbas-Netanyahu meeting would lead nowhere without a freeze on Israeli settlement building, the release of Palestinian prisoners and a deadline for an end to the occupation.
As part of attempts to set up Netanyahu-Abbas Talks, European officials tried to arrange a meeting last month. Israeli and Palestinian officials stated that the efforts were unsuccessful and each side casts the blame on the other.
With his eye on shifting big-power influence in the Middle East, Israeli PM Netanyahu has visited Russia for talks with Putin three times in the last year, and the two also speak on occasion by phone to discuss regional issues.
Peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014. The last substantial public meeting between Abbas and Netanyahu is thought to have been in 2010, though there have been unconfirmed reports of secret meetings since then.
It said in a statement that Netanyahu, at a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, "presented Israel's position whereby he is always ready to meet (Abbas) without preconditions and is therefore considering the Russian president's proposal and the timing for a possible meeting." Abbas's office has said the Palestinians are ready to participate in any peace initiative aimed at a "comprehensive and fair solution."
"The Palestinian authority is not opposed, in principle, to a meeting between President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu", PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said on Saturday. "It has been confirmed to a number of countries in recent days that there is no obstacle in principle to convening a meeting between President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu," Maliki told the Ramallah- based Al-Ayyam daily.
However, Palestinian leaders also say years of negotiations with the Israelis have not ended the occupation of the West Bank, and they have more recently pursued an international strategy. They say an Abbas-Netanyahu meeting would lead nowhere without a freeze on Israeli settlement building, the release of Palestinian prisoners and a deadline for an end to the occupation.
As part of attempts to set up Netanyahu-Abbas Talks, European officials tried to arrange a meeting last month. Israeli and Palestinian officials stated that the efforts were unsuccessful and each side casts the blame on the other.
With his eye on shifting big-power influence in the Middle East, Israeli PM Netanyahu has visited Russia for talks with Putin three times in the last year, and the two also speak on occasion by phone to discuss regional issues.
Peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014. The last substantial public meeting between Abbas and Netanyahu is thought to have been in 2010, though there have been unconfirmed reports of secret meetings since then.