Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Iran following deadly Bandar Abbas port explosion    Saudi Arabia welcomes Palestinian leadership reforms, appointment of Hussein Al-Sheikh    Ministry of Hajj issued over 150,000 Nusuk cards for the Hajj of 2025    Saudi Arabia deports 12,866 illegal residents in a week    Pope Francis laid to rest at historic funeral in Rome    Massive explosion at Iran's Shahid Rajaee Port injures over 500 people    SFDA clears first 44-ton medical shipment for Hajj pilgrims    Over 13 million worshipers pray at Rawdah Sharif in a year    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Abbas ‘still partner' despite Hamas deal, says Peres
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 10 - 05 - 2011

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is still a partner for peace with Israel despite his unity deal with Hamas, Israeli President Shimon Peres said in an interview published Monday.
Abbas is “absolutely” still a peace partner “because he wants to hold negotiations for peace with Israel,” Peres told the Jerusalem Post, saying the Palestinian leader “opposes violence and he wants peace”.
The president's stance is at odds with that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has told Abbas to choose between peace with Israel or peace with Hamas.
Peres told the paper he had “criticized” Abbas over the surprise deal signed last week and aims at ending four years of bitter rivalry, but that it “doesn't free me of the need to talk with him.”
He also told the paper the Palestinian bid to seek UN recognition of an independent state based on 1967 borders would not end the conflict if it was not linked to Israel's security needs.
“I'm in favor of recognizing them provided they recognize Israel's security needs,” he told the English-language daily.
“Going to the UN solely with a declaration of statehood, without giving an answer to Israel's security concerns – that will mean a continuation of the conflict, not an end to the conflict,” he said.
Peres said there would be no breaking the impasse in negotiations while everything was being dragged into the public eye.
“If these were private talks ... it would be possible to argue and be flexible, but when the conditions are public, it is impossible to move forward,” he said.
Direct talks between the two sides stalled last September in an intractable dispute over Jewish settlement building, with the Palestinians refusing to talk while Israel builds on occupied land they want for a future state.
Peres said only “a short path” was left to reach peace and he was optimistic that an agreement could be reached.
Israel, the president said, must work to delineate boundaries that would see the Jewish state incorporate the main settlement blocs and protect its security interests.
“We only have to determine where the three blocs will be in quiet negotiations,” he said.
“The Palestinians say that they want the territory of 1967, not the borders, the territory,” he said, referring to the 1967 Six-Day War during which Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
“And we want an agreed-upon land swap that is intended to both leave the blocs and to meet Israel's security needs,” Peres said.


Clic here to read the story from its source.