Israeli President, Shimon Peres, phoned Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, Thursday evening and told him that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, “can be trusted as a partner for peace”.Peres told Abbas that he should not give up on the peace process, and that he [Abbas] is the best man who is capable of securing a peace deal with the state of Israel.
In response to Peres, Abbas said that the Palestinian Authority is serious and aims at reaching a peace deal with Israel as soon as possible.
Abbas started the conversation by sending his well-wishes to Peres who responded by wishing Abbas and all Muslims and happy “Fitr” feast , and urged him not to give-up on peace.
Earlier on Thursday, Abbas phoned Netanyahu wishing him a “Shana Tova” (a happy new Jewish year) but the two leaders did not discuss any political issues.
President Abbas initially threatened to withdraw from the US-backed peace talks if Israel does not halt its settlement activities in occupied West Bank and in occupied East Jerusalem.
The 10-month settlement “freeze” will expire by the end of September; several Israeli leaders, mainly Netanyahu and Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said that settlement activities will resume after the freeze ends.
