RAMALLAH, West Bank -- The Palestinian Authority and the United States are in negotiations behind closed doors over a Middle East peace plan through a third country channel, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce a peace plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as early as April.
In an exclusive interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, the Palestinian leader revealed the ongoing negotiations with Washington, stressing the need to have multilateral mediators involved in peace talks with Israel, including Japan.
"I want Japan to play an important role in the peace process," Abbas said during the interview held at the President's Office in Ramallah on Friday.
This is Abbas' first interview with an overseas media outlet since late 2017, when Trump declared the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel -- a move that has consequently left the two governments with severed relations.
Critical of Trump's move, Abbas called the United States "biased," and thus the action "disqualified it from being the sole mediator in the negotiations."
The leader, however, also implied that the Palestinian Authority could accept a U.S.-led peace plan as long as it meets the Palestinians' desired conditions. This is because he believes the United States could exert a major influence on achieving peace in the Middle East as Israel's ally.
Asked about conditions that should be included in a peace plan, Abbas asserted "a two-state solution" where Israel and a Palestinian state exist side by side.
Demanding Israel first end the occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and withdraw from the areas, Abbas insisted the need to establish "an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital."
It remains unclear whether Washington will accept and include such conditions in a U.S.-led peace plan. Abbas, however, emphasized the importance of establishing "an international multilateral mechanism," including Japan, in future negotiations with Israel.
The Palestinian territories have been divided as Fatah -- the main faction of the Palestinian Authority -- governs the West Bank, and Islamist group Hamas controls the Gaza Strip.
The two groups began reconciliation talks in October 2017 to pave the way for setting up a unity government. However, the talks came to a rupture mainly due to disagreement over dismantling Hamas' military unit.
Asked about the reasons why the talks fell apart, Abbas said that Hamas "blocked all the attempts made by Egypt," despite Cairo's efforts as a mediator.
He also pointed out Hamas' relations with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which is the base of the Palestinian Authority, as the vital reason for the failure. "Hamas has not been following the PLO's policy decisions," he said.
"What is important is to end the suffering of people in the Gaza Strip. To realize it, it is imperative to conduct elections as soon as possible to build a unity government," Abbas said.
His remarks indicate that he wants to resume the reconciliation talks with Hamas to hold elections in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip at the same time.
Abbas' failing health was believed to have been one of the reasons why the 83-year-old Palestinian leader had been avoiding interviews or any contact with media. Denying the rumor, he said, "My health is fine," expressing his intention to stay in his post.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
