Abbas will not demand return to Aka, Haifa and Safad

On Thursday Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas pledged to Israeli leaders that Palestinians would never file legal cases demanding their return to cities such as Jaffa, Acre and Safad.

During a meeting with leaders of the Israeli party Mertz, Abbas said that he had sent a “reassurance message” to the Israelis in order to push the peace process talks forward. While reporting the story, correspondent of the Israeli TV channel 2 Ohad Hamo described Abbas as “courageous.”

Hamo said that six Israeli leaders from the Israeli opposition party visited Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and met Abbas, who told them that he was “optimistic.”

Abbas told Israeli leaders that it is possible for a peace agreement to be achieved very soon. “The Middle East is ablaze and this is the only and last opportunity for us. We can achieve an agreement within six months,” he said.

The PA president, who was criticised by Palestinian factions, blamed the Israeli government for refusing his negotiation plan.

“We have between six to nine months. I suggested daily meetings, or at most, one meeting every two days, but Israel refused,” he said. “They refused an effective American intervention” he added.

Palestinian factions, mainly Hamas and Islamic Jihad, refused Abbas’ remarks and called for people to take to the streets in the Gaza Strip to announce their refusal of them.