Abbas meets Israel MKs, cabinet ministers in Ramallah

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday received three members of the Israeli Knesset from the left wing Meretz party, two of whom are cabinet ministers, Wafa news agency reported.

Head of the Meretz party and Minister of Health Ministers, Nitzan Horowitz, Minister of Regional Cooperation Issawi Freij, and MK Michal Rozin discussed the peace process between the PA and the Israeli occupation with Abbas.

Abbas stressed on the importance of ending the occupation and establishing just and comprehensive peace in accordance with international resolutions.

He also reiterated the importance of stopping settlement construction, military incursions, home demolitions, the displacement of people, and the return of the bodies of Palestinian martyrs killed by the occupation.

READ: PA calls for extremist settlers to be added to global terror lists 

According to Wafa, the Israeli delegation stressed its support for the two-state solution, ending the occupation and joint cooperation to build bridges of trust.

“Israel must renew the peace process and contacts with the Palestinians… Israel can’t run away from the Palestinian issue. It is here and it is the heart of the matter,” Freij said.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed reservations about the meeting, the Jerusalem Post reported, but he did not stop it from taking place. His representatives declined to comment.

While former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the health minister for taking time away from battling the coronavirus to meet with Abbas.