There is still a chance for Middle East peace: Abbas
TEL AVIV: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told White House adviser Jared Kushner that he stills sees a chance for peace between the Palestinians and Israel.
“We know that things are difficult and complicated, but there is nothing impossible with good efforts,” Abbas told the US delegation headed by Kushner in Ramallah yesterday.
“We confirm that this delegation is working for peace, and we are working with it to soon reach what President Trump has called a peace deal,” Abbas was quoted as saying by Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Kushner, who is also Trump’s son-in-law, was part of a US-led effort to rekindle the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Kushner called peaceful Is- raeli-Palestinian relations “a topic that is very important” to the president.
“President Trump sends to President Abbas his best regards and great hopes,” Kushner said before the talks.
“He is very optimistic and hopeful for a better future for all Palestinian people and all Israeli people and hopefully they will be able to live together and work together for many years and for much better lives,” Kushner said.
“President Trump is very hopeful and he is appreciative of all the discussions and relationships,” Kushner added.
Trump took office speaking of an “ultimate deal” that could be struck between the Israelis and Palestinians, but Palestinian leaders have said that the US has not clearly committed itself to the two- state solution, which would see a Palestinian state established in the West Bank and Gaza alongside Israel.
“The president is very committed to achieving a solution that will be able to bring prosperity and peace to all people in this area,” Kushner said at the opening of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv earlier yesterday. – ANA-DPA