Abbas :’Oslo Accords are Dead’

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking with Meretz party leader Zehava Galon, said that the Palestinian authority didn’t drop the negotiations options although “the Oslo Accords are dead.”

“We are prepared for negotiations, and we never intended to leave the talks, but regrettably no one is offering us talks, especially not the Americans, who now wish to punish us,” he added.

Abbas said US President Donald Trump had, in several past conversations, “promised a good deal to resolve the conflict, and then came this unfortunate surprise, which we cannot accept.”

He reiterated that due to Trump’s decision regarding Jerusalem, the US can no longer be a mediator.

Galon and Abbas agreed that the US and Israeli right-wing will lead the region to catastrophic and violent outcomes that might strengthen the loss of trust between Palestinians and Israelis. He added that the two-state solution is the only possible solution, but there is no courageous leadership in Israel to achieve that.

According to Israeli reports, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to get a pledge from Trump administration to cancel the idea of the Palestinian refugees right to get back. Channel 2 said that this approach coincides with the time when the Palestinian authority is stressing this right, on the side.

Palestinians seek to find a new mechanism to sponsor a new political process.

Abbas discussed in Brussels last week with the EU foreign ministers an international multilateral framework that includes five to seven states.

Other ideas were discussed such as launching a new international conference for peace that would result in this new mechanism. However, no practical steps were taken as the Israeli PM insists on the US as the sole mediator.