JERUSALEM (JTA) — Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad refused to attend a scheduled meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu met Tuesday in Jerusalem with two PA leaders — chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and security official Majed Faraj — according to reports.
Fayyad likely canceled his participation because he did not want to be seen meeting with Israeli officials on Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, which honors Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails, Palestinian officials told the Palestinian Maan news service. At least 1,200 Palestinian prisoners launched an open-ended hunger strike to protest prison conditions and administrative detention.
A statement released by both sides after the meeting said that “Israel and the Palestinian Authority are committed to achieving peace."
It said the Palestinian side gave Netanyahu a letter from PA President Mahmoud Abbas and that within two weeks, Netanyahu will give a letter to Abbas.
"Both sides hope that this exchange of letters will help find a way to advance peace,” the statement said.
Netanyahu has called for the restarting of peace talks without preconditions.
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