Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers set to talk after months of silence

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad next week, after a break of months, it was announced Wednesday.

The two leaders haven’t spoken in months, as negotiations and discourse between the sides have been in a stalemate.

Nimar Hamad, a political adviser to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, told the Voice of Palestine radio station that the Palestinian delegation would include a few high-ranking officials, including chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and the secretary of the PLO’s executive committee, Yasser Abed Rabbo.

Hamad said that the Palestinians would present the Israelis a letter from President Abbas that would lay out the Palestinian position on the negotiations. Israel must stop building in the West Bank and agree to a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, he said.

Netanyahu’s spokesperson, Ofir Gendelman, confirmed the meeting via his Twitter account.

PM Netanyahu will meet w/Pal PM Fayad next week. PM envoy Molcho will deliver a letter from the PM to president Abbas following the meeting

Haaretz reported on Tuesday that Netanyahu had prepared a letter to be sent to Abbas, with Israel’s demands from the Palestinians, including the recognition of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people and returning to the drawing board with no preconditions.

The report also said Netanyahu was willing to discuss all the issues, including water, security, refugees and Jerusalem.

In January, Israeli and Palestinian delegates held meetings in Jordan. Those talks ended without progress and Fayyad blamed Israel for the failure, saying Israel refused to discuss the issue of future borders. (© 2012 THE TIMES OF ISRAEL 04/04/12)