Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday he would be against a new Israeli government led by Binyamin Netanyahu, AFP reported.
"Our position: against Netanyahu," Abbas said during a visit to Oslo when questioned over his preferences for a new Israeli government.
The comments came after Netanyahu and Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz remained deadlocked as votes in Tuesday’s election were tallied.
Earlier on Wednesday, the PA’s “foreign minister” said the PA is prepared to engage in dialogue with any future Israeli leader.
"Whoever will be able to form a government, we are ready to sit with him or her in order to restart the negotiations," Riyad al-Maliki told reporters.
On Tuesday, the PA cabinet leader, Mohammad Shtayyeh, suggested there was no difference between Netanyahu and Gantz as he downplayed the Israeli election.
Speaking at a conference of Palestinian Arab entrepreneurs in Bethlehem, Shtayyeh quipped, “Frankly, the difference between Benny and Bibi — Benny Gantz and Bibi Netanyahu — the difference Benny and Bibi is not much of a difference between Pepsi Cola and Coca-Cola,”
"Unfortunately Israeli society is moving further to the right. Yet we want those who led the government in Israel to stand up and tell the world that they are ready to end the occupation, and that President Mahmoud Abbas will have a partner (in peace). Without that we will take other steps if the same Israeli government policy persists,” he added.
The peace process between Israel and the PA has been frozen since 2014, when Abbas breached conditions of talks that were ongoing at the time by unilaterally joining international treaties and conventions.
While the PA chairman claims he is ready to sit down for peace talks, he has continuously rejected Netanyahu’s call to sit down for peace negotiations, and has instead chosen to impose preconditions on talks.