BICOM

Leader of Israel’s opposition and head of the Labour Party, Shelly Yachimovich, yesterday met Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah to discuss the possibility of resuming peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

A Labour Party statement said that Yachimovich told Abbas that it is “important to return to negotiations immediately and to examine the positions of both sides on all issues,” although she noted that the security of Israeli citizens must remain the first priority. She also emphasised that “Now is the time to respond to US mediation efforts to renew the talks.” US Secretary of State John Kerry has made a concerted effort to kick-start negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders since taking office in February, becoming a regular visitor to both Jerusalem and Ramallah.

Yachimovich said several weeks ago that she regretted not placing enough emphasis on the peace process during January’s election campaign. Since then, she has responded enthusiastically to the recent announcement by the Arab League, brokered by Kerry, which appeared to soften the organisation’s conditions for a comprehensive Arab peace with Israel. Yesterday, Yachimovich assured Abbas that her party would support “positive, significant steps toward reaching an agreement” and would act as a “safety net” for Israel’s government in the event that it is engaged in peace talks and coalition members attempt to bring it down. Senior Labour MK Binyamin Ben Eliezer reiterated a similar message, saying “if the government breaks up [due to peace talks], Labour is in.”

Meanwhile, over the weekend, the Fatah faction, headed by Abbas approved the Arab League announcement, which endorsed land swaps in establishing the future borders between Israel and a Palestinian state. A Fatah announcement also said that it was dealing “seriously with US [peace] efforts in order to make them succeed.”