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PLO flag (archive)Flash 90

The Palestinian Authority (PA) envoy to the United States said on Monday that any new Israeli-PA peace push must be based on a two-state solution.

Speaking at the Arab Center Washington D.C. think tank and quoted by Reuters, the envoy, Husam Zomlot, said that the U.S. administration had yet to present an actual plan for reviving negotiations.

The comments come ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East. National security adviser H.R. McMaster said on Friday that Trump “will express his desire for dignity and self-determination for the Palestinians" when he meets PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

While welcoming Trump´s promise to pursue what he has called the "ultimate deal," Zomlot insisted any final agreement would have to satisfy the "legitimate aspirations" of the Palestinian people for a state of their own.

"The best way for peace to materialize is the two-state solution," Zomlot said, according to Reuters.

He added that Palestinian Arabs were convinced of Trump’s desire to "make peace" but acknowledged his approach remained unclear.

Zomlot suggested, however, that could be a positive if Trump can "disrupt" old assumptions about the Middle East peace process that have failed in the past.

While McMaster did not rule out on Friday that Trump might bring Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Abbas together during the visit, Zomlot said that it might be "too early for us."

In the past, Abbas has rejected calls by Israel to sit down for direct negotiations, choosing instead to impose preconditions on such talks.

He did indicate last week, however, that he was willing to meet with Netanyahu, if the meeting was under the “auspices” of Trump.