BICOM

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday that negotiations would still be essential even after the Palestinian motion at the United Nations later this month. Abbas added that he hoped the bid would enable the sides to return to talks. His goal, he said, was for a Palestinian state and Israel to live in peace and security next to one another. ‘Our first, second and third priority is negotiations,’ he said. ‘There is no other way to solve this. No matter what happens at the United Nations, we have to return to negotiations.’ Abbas added that security cooperation between Israeli security forces and those of the Palestinian Authority would continue after the expected endorsement by the United Nations General Assembly of a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood later this month.

Abbas made these remarks in a meeting with 20 Israeli intellectuals who support the Palestinian bid for statehood. He also revealed that he has met twice in the last year with Defence Minister Ehud Barak, and several times with PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. In addition to his meetings with Barak and Fayyad, Abbas noted that he has met with President Shimon Peres three times over the last year.