Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has asked his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi for help in opening contact channels with Israel, Al Arab Al Jadeed revealed yesterday. According to the London-based news outlet, the request was made during a meeting earlier this week in Egypt’s resort city of Sharm Al-Sheikh.
Abbas is reported to have briefed Sisi about the details of his recent meeting with Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz. The PA leader also said that he is interested in meeting Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and asked Egypt to help facilitate such a meeting.
Palestinian sources reported by Al Araby Al Jadeed said that Abbas believes that the current Israeli coalition government is able to help the Palestinian people, as well as the PA in its political struggle against Hamas. The Islamic Resistance Movement won the Palestinian elections in 2006, the last time that a free and fair poll was held in occupied Palestine.
Lapid told the Israeli media on Tuesday that he is not going to negotiate with the Palestinians without the consent of the coalition government’s partners.
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