Saeb Erekat
Saeb ErekatFlash 90

The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, on Sunday expressed skepticism about peace prospects with the next Israeli government following comments made by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu against the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Speaking to a gathering of international reporters and quoted by The Associated Press (AP), Erekat said that Netanyahu's comments were irresponsible and would cause despair among Palestinians.

"Desperation will lead to desperate acts," Erekat warned, adding that Netanyahu's opposition to Palestinian statehood raised serious questions about reviving negotiations.

"What do I talk to him about?" he said, according to AP.

Erekat was referring to comments made by Netanyahu in interviews during the election campaign, when he vowed that he would never allow the establishment of a Palestinian state under his watch.

Netanyahu later backtracked on his comments but the United States appeared unconvinced and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged him to renew his commitment to a two-state solution.

Following the election in Israel, the international community renewed its calls on Israel to resume talks with the PA.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called for negotiations between the sides to resume in order to achieve "a comprehensive and lasting peace accord" based on the “two-state solution”.

UN envoy Robert Serry told the Security Council recently that it should step in to present a "framework for negotiations, including parameters" to achieve peace.

Last week, New Zealand said it is working on a draft UN resolution to revive the long-stalled peace talks. The move from New Zealand, which was elected as one of the 10 non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, reflected growing impatience within the council over the failure to agree on a UN approach for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

The Security Council in December rejected a resolution that would have set a deadline for reaching a final peace deal and pave the way to the creation of a Palestinian state.