Middle East/US

US envoy and Palestinian leader meet to discuss peace process

Article published on the 2009-04-17 Latest update 2009-04-17 17:46 TU

George Mitchell (L) talks with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas during their meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah on 17 April 2009.
(Photo: Reuters)

US special envoy George Mitchell met Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on Friday, reiterating that "the two-state solution is the only solution".

Palestine's top peace negotiator Saeb Erakat challenged Israel's new right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes a Palestinian state, to meet the task.

"Until the Netanyahu government unequivocally affirms its support for the two-state solution, implements Israel's roadmap obligations and abides by previous agreements, Palestinians have no partner for peace," he said.

Abbas and Mitchell "emphasised the shared commitment of [US President Barack Obama's administration] and the Palestinian leadership to the two-state solution," Erakat said.

Following talks on Friday, Mitchell added that "a comprehensive peace in the region is in the US national interest".

Mitchell, a former US senator, made similar statements when he was in Israel on Thursday. Meanwhile, Israel's controversial Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman offered a tepid response saying the right-wing government will have to come up with a new approach as "the peace process has reached a dead end".

Netanyahu also said Israel expects Palestinians "to recognise the state of Israel as the state of the Jewish people".

For many Palestinians, such recognition would amount to abandoning the right to return of refugees.

"Netanyahu's new 'condition' serves no other purpose than to stall progress towards negotations, and to save his government from having to deal with the real issues," Erakat said.

Netanyahu has said he wants the economy in the occupied West Bank to improve before addressing the Middle East peace process.

Mitchell, who is set to go to Egypt, helped broker the 1998 Good Friday accords that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland.