Netanyahu calls on Abbas

Benjamin Netanyahu called on President Mahmouad Abbas to begin direct peace talks immediately.

JERUSALEM:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmouad Abbas to begin direct peace talks immediately.

According to reports Abbas rejected the call, saying he will not participate in the talks without further peaceful moves from Israel.

But an email report from his office reports that Netanyahu says that Israel has taken many measures to advance peace, while the Palestinians still refuse to meet. Abbas still wants more from Israel. He says Israel should lift the embargo on the Gaza Strip and criticised the Palestinian demolition project.

Ghassan Khatib, a spokesman for the Palestinian Authority, also rejected Netanyahu’s call for direct talks. “The Palestinian position is clear in this regard,” he said. “Resumption of direct talks is contingent on conditions being met such as full cessation of settlement construction.”

The two nations began US-mediated indirect peace talks last month.

It was the first time the two sides had agreed to negotiations since talks ended in December 2008 when Israel launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip.