Israel calls on Palestinians to start negotiation 'without preconditions'

Gabi Ashkenazi during the final stage of Blue and White election campaign in Tel Aviv, Israel, 15 September 2019 [Faiz Abu Rmeleh/Anadolu Agency]

December 7, 2020

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi called on Sunday for the Palestinians to seize the opportunity of normalisation between Israel and some Arab states and "enter direct negotiations without preconditions," Ynet News has reported.

Ashkenazi described the Israeli normalisation deals between Israel and the Gulf States as an "opportunity" for the Palestinians, claiming they did not come at their expense. He made his comments at an online regional security conference hosted by Bahrain.

The minister said that the Abraham Accords could help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and resume peace talks which have been stalled since 2014. "The accords do not come at the expense of the Palestinians. Quite the opposite, they are an opportunity that should not be missed.

He called on the Palestinians to change their minds and enter direct negotiation without preconditions. "This is the only way to solve this conflict," he claimed, adding that Israel has moved from annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories to normalisation of ties with Arab states.