Russia: Netanyahu, Abbas agree to meet

The Russian Foreign Ministry reported on Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had agreed to meet in Moscow to renew final status talks.

 

Despite the announcement, however, no date has been set for a meeting between the two leaders, and the apparent readiness of the two has yet to produce a firm commitment by either to restart negotiations.

 

Netanyahu earlier this week announced during his visit to the Dutch parliament that he was prepared to meet the Palestinian Authority leader, so long as no preconditions were attached to such a meeting.

 

Abbas, on the other hand, has demanded Israel halt all Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria prior to any negotiations, as well as the release of terrorists held in Israeli jails.

 

The US State Department acknowledged that it was aware of the efforts to bring the two leaders together and reboot negotiations, adding that the US supports any effort towards the creation of a final status agreement.

 

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