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Netanyahu: I’m ready for peace talks without preconditions

[ssba]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to achieving peace with the Palestinians yesterday. In a meeting with activists from the “Women Wage Peace” movement, Netanyahu stated that he was “ready now to travel to Ramallah or any other place in order to meet and carry out direct negotiations with no pre-conditions.”

Accompanied by his personal envoy to the peace process, Yitzhak Molho, the Prime Minister sat down with retired judge Saviona Rotlevy, Milana Yaari, Amal Abu Rihan Ramada and Ayelet Harel. The movement they represent had been engaged in a 50-day hunger strike in front of the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem as part of their call on Israel to renew peace talks with the Palestinians. “The solution is two states for two peoples,” said the Prime Minister, with “a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognises the nation state of the Jewish people. If you intend to meet with Abbas, tell him that I am ready to meet and is he ready for this.”

A number of weeks ago, representatives of the organisation met with the prime minister’s wife, Sara Netanyahu, delivering a similar message to that conveyed to the prime minister yesterday. At the time Mrs Netanyahu urged the peace activists to protest outside the house of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and urge him to re-engage with Israel.