By Aysar al-Iss
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday voiced readiness to resume peace talks with Israel, either behind closed doors or in public.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Paris with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Abbas said: “We’re ready for negotiations with Israel — either in public or behind closed doors — with the [Middle East] Quartet as sponsor.”
The so-called Middle East “Quartet” is comprised of the U.S., Russia, the UN and the EU.
“The Palestinians haven’t rejected negotiations,” Abbas asserted. “[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is the one who has derailed the peace process.”
Abbas arrived in Paris on Thursday at the invitation of Macron.
On Saturday, the Palestinian president will leave France for Ireland, before moving on to New York for a UN General Assembly meeting.
Palestine-Israel talks broke down in 2014, due largely to Israel’s refusal to stop building Jewish-only settlement units on confiscated Palestinian land.
