Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called on Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Thursday evening to meet with him directly. During a speech at the home of United States Ambassador James Cunningham, ahead of Sunday's 4th of July celebrations, Netanyahu said, "I am ready to meet you face to face, today or tomorrow, here or anywhere. Come, let's not waste another 15 months of doing nothing."
Netanyahu has been in office 15 months. He is scheduled to visit U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, DC next week. American Middle East envoy George Mitchell is currently in the Middle East.