MK Shelly Yachimovich
MK Shelly YachimovichIsrael news photo: Flash 90

Israeli Opposition Leader Shelly Yachimovich on Sunday urged Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmud Abbas to seize the opportunity of resuming peace negotiations as the two met for talks in Ramallah.

The two discussed "the situation in the Middle East and the chances of making progress between Israel and the Palestinians", said a statement released by her office, according to the AFP news agency.

"Now is the time to respond to US mediation efforts to renew the talks," Yachimovitch told Abbas, referring to Secretary of State John Kerry's bid to draw the parties back into direct negotiations which have been stalled for over two and a half years.

It was, she said, "important to return to negotiations immediately and to examine the positions of both sides on all issues".

Yachimovitch told Abbas during Sunday’s meeting that she had made clear to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that the Opposition would "provide a security net for him if he takes significant steps toward a political solution with the Palestinians".

"The Labor party is deeply committed to the peace process and to the two-state solution," she said, while pointing out that Israel's "highest priority" was the security of its citizens.

Several days ago, Yachimovich praised a move by the Arab League to amend its 2002 peace initiative to incorporate the principle of mutually agreed land swaps in the context of a final peace deal.