Report: Russia Seeking to Mend Ties Between US, Palestinians

According to Israel’s Channel 13, Russia is attempting to arrange a “mini summit” in Geneva with a view to mending frayed relations between the United States and the Palestinian Authority. The report suggested that the goal was to provide Palestinian officials with the opportunity to propose modifications to President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan, which, most significantly, envisions Israel’s annexation as early as July of about 30% of the West Bank. PA President Mahmoud Abbas has imposed a blanket boycott on the US administration in the wake of President Trump’s recognition in December 2017 of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. On Tuesday, he declared all past agreements with Israel and the US null and void, citing as the primary reason Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s vow to press ahead with applying Israeli sovereignty over Palestinian-claimed territories. Abbas said that by pursuing such a move, Israel had “annulled” the 1993 Oslo Accords, which established the PA and jump-started direct peace negotiations. The report added that the European Union and United Nations were also involved in the effort to bridge the gaps between Washington and Ramallah, and that representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates could also participate in the prospective gathering.