Israel daily, Yedioth Aharonoth, reported that Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, intends to officially invite newly elected Israeli members of Knesset (MK) from leftist and centrist parties to visit him in Ramallah.The Israeli paper said that a Palestinian source stated that the Palestinian leadership considers the rising Israeli party Yesh Atid (There is Future), headed by Yair Lapid, has a great significance and potential in Israeli politics.
Lapid’s party garnered 19 Knesset seats in the elections
The Palestinian source added that Lapid will be the first to be invited to Ramallah, and that newly elected MK’s from the Labor Party, Meretz and even from the Likud Party of Benjamin Netanyahu will be invited to visit Ramallah.
Yedioth Aharonoth reported that Abbas wants to ensure that, unlike the previous government that was also headed by Netanyahu, the stalled peace process between Israel and the Palestinians will this time be on the agenda of the new Israeli government.
It said that Abbas wants to discuss the possibility of a peace agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, and added that Lapid is the center of these talks.
The paper also said that Abbas wants to hold talks with moderate Israeli officials in an attempt to reach a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.
The exact time for this suggested meeting has not been determined yet, but will likely be held before a new Israeli government is formed, and before the elected MK’s are sworn in.
The final results of the Israeli election were declared Thursday granting the Likud-Beiteinu coalition (The electoral coalition between the Likud Party of Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Our Home of Avigdor Lieberman) 31 seats.
This outcome is approximately %25 less than the number of seats garnered in the previous election. The 19 seats won by the Yesh Atid party puts it in the focus point of any strong coalition.
The Labor Party won 15 seats, followed by the far-right Jewish Home party that won 12 seats. The United Arab List only won five seats despite preliminary figures that indicated it garnered six seats.
