Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is ready to work toward a peace deal with Israel, the Jerusalem Post reports, based on anonymous sources.
Abbas’s willingness to negotiate is “unprecedented,” according to those sources.
JP reports that Abbas made this point clear to President Donald Trump during Abbas’s meeting at the White House last week. Trump is scheduled to visit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and he, too, is expected to tell Trump during his visit to Israel next week that his is also committed to a peace deal.
Abbas, who has in the past said he would not negotiate with Netanyahu without Israel halting its settlement construction, issued several statements to show he would be willing to compromise. According to JP, Abbas says he would start up the talks again with Trump’s support and without prerequisites.
Additionally, Abbas sent his aides to the media to say Palestinians are ready to cut a deal on land exchanges with Israel, which would mean a number of West Bank settlements would stay part of Israel in a potential future agreement.