Trump and Netanyahu at the White House
Trump and Netanyahu at the White HouseKobi Gideon/GPO

AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby in America, on Tuesday urged the Palestinian Authority (PA) to resume peace talks with Israel following the unveiling of US President Donald Trump’s so-called “Deal of the Century”.

“Today, the Trump administration released its framework to help achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians. We appreciate the efforts of President Trump and his administration to work in consultation with the leaders of the two major Israeli political parties to set forth ideas to resolve the conflict in a way that recognizes our ally’s critical security needs. Indeed, both Israeli political leaders view this framework as the basis to restart negotiations with the Palestinians,” AIPAC said in a statement.

“We have long believed that direct Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy is essential to create a durable peace and lasting two-state agreement that effectively addresses the concerns of both sides,” it added.

“Unfortunately, the Palestinian leadership has continually refused direct talks with Israel for the last several years. It is now essential that Palestinians both forego the path of violence, boycotts, and the criminalization of differences at international forums and return to peace talks with Israel. We were encouraged to see that the ambassadors from Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates attended the announcement, and we call on the Arab states to play a constructive role in urging the Palestinians to resume negotiations with Israelis,” said AIPAC.

“While all parties will have their differences with this framework, it is time for Palestinians to rejoin Israelis at the negotiating table. A lasting, genuine peace will inevitably require agreement between the parties themselves and tough compromises from both sides,” concluded the statement.

PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas has continuously chosen to impose preconditions on talks with Israel rather than heeding Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's call to negotiate.

Abbas rejected the US peace plan before it was ever unveiled. On Tuesday, he reiterated his opposition to the plan and said it would be relegated to the "dustbin of history."