Any peace agreement which requires the Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state or an exchange of land is out of the question, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Friday.
In a Ramallah meeting with Hadash party Knesset members, Abbas said that it was now up to Israel to recognize a Palestinian state with 1967 borders, and that the PA had already recognised Israel back in 1993, thus negating the need for any further acknowledgment.
RELATED:PA official criticized for willingness to recognize IsraelPalestinians demand Israel present map of its bordersAbbas: What Israel calls itself is none of our businessOn Monday, Prime Minister Netanyahu
spoke at the opening of the Knesset's winter session.
In his speech, the prime minister challenged his Palestinian
counterparts to continue the peace talks by saying he would initiate a
cabinet proposal to renew a settlement moratorium if the Palestinian
Authority would declare its recognition of Israel as a national home for
the Jewish people."A Palestinian state
could be a cause of continued conflict and terror if it is not handled
responsibly." The prime minister said.
"Palestinian recognition of
Israel as a Jewish state is central to the dispute between us [and is
necessary for its resolution]. If the Palestinians expect a national
state, we can expect our own national state for the Jewish people." 