Mahmoud Abbas is to meet US secretary of state Hillary Clinton in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi today with the aim of ending the impasse over resuming the Middle East peace process.
She is also scheduled to meet Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu tomorrow.
Last week Mrs Clinton reported to US president Barack Obama that little progress had been made during intensive US shuttles between the sides.
Her discussions in the region will take place ahead of meetings with Arab foreign ministers in Morocco early next week.
Mr Abbas is reported to have said he is “willing to give Netanyahu one more chance” to propose an agenda for negotiations which Palestinians can accept.
But Mr Abbas does not see Mr Netanyahu as a partner because, in Mr Abbas’s view, the Israeli leader is sticking to positions held when he was last premier, between 1996 and 1999.
Mr Abbas predicted a “descent into violence” and stated “we have no more than two to three weeks during which something [positive] must happen”.
I agree Hmg. Hillary will bring more to this process than BO could. This would be a huge challenge, obviously, for anyone. There does not appear to be a willingness on either side to work toward peace.
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It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. ~Susan B. Anthony