Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu welcomed the announcement by Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas that he will meet the Prime Minister during a U.N. conference. Netanyahu said that for a long time he considered the possibility of the two meeting, without preconditions, in order to advance the peace process.
Netanyahu said, “The Palestinians will raise during the meeting the issue of Jerusalem and refugees and we will state our opinions.” He said that one of the key issues is Israel’s demand that the PA Arabs recognize Israel as a Jewish state and that an agreement with them will end the struggle and claims. Netanyahu’s statements were made during a meeting with reporters in Berlin on Wednesday.