- Title: Palestinian president believes peace with Israel is achievable - spokesman
- Date: 28th December 2016
- Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (DECEMBER 28, 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT HEADQUARTERS PALESTINIAN FLAG WAVING (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALESTINIAN CHIEF NEGOTIATOR, SAEB EREKAT, SAYING: "President Mahmoud Abbas followed with great interest tonight Secretary of State John Kerry's speech and reiterated his full commitment to a just peace as a strategic option and said, the minute the Israeli government agrees to cease all settlement activities, including in East Jerusalem, and agrees to implement on the basis of reciprocity, agreements signed, that the Palestinian leadership stands ready to resume permanent status negotiations on the basis of international law, relevant international legality resolutions, including the recent Security Council resolution 2334/2016." JOURNALIST WRITING ON MOBILE PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALESTINIAN CHIEF NEGOTIATOR, SAEB EREKAT, SAYING: "President Abbas is fully convinced that a just, comprehensive and lasting peace can be achieved and is doable and all core issues on the basis of the Arab peace initiative specified terms and references, which guarantees to fully end the Israeli occupation and lead to the establishment of an independent state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital on the 1967 borders that will live in peace and security side by side with the state of Israel and solve all core issues, including refugees and prisoners on the basis of the relevant international legality resolutions. President Abbas will continue to cooperate very closely with France, which plans to convene next month an international conference in Paris in order to guarantee the launching of a credible peace process on the basis of international law, international legality and the Arab peace initiative within a specified time frame and a new international follow-up mechanisms." SECURITY STANDING
- Embargoed: 12th January 2017 21:49
- Keywords: John Kerry Benjamin Netanyahu Israel Palestinian Authority peace process settlements speech
- Location: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
- City: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0015EST26F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas responded to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's Middle East speech in Washington on Wednesday (December 28) by saying he was convinced peace with Israel was achievable, but continuing to demand that Israel halt settlement building before talks restarted.
Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat read out a statement saying Abbas had "reiterated his full commitment to a just peace as a strategic option".
U.S.-backed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down in 2014.
Erekat said it was Abbas's position that "the minute the Israeli government agrees to cease all settlement activities, including in East Jerusalem, and agrees to implement ... agreements signed, the Palestinian leadership stands ready to resume permanent status negotiations on the basis of international law". - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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