Palestinians Only Choose Russia to Mediate Talks with Israel

Ramallah, MINA – Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki said Palestinian leaders are willing to resume talks with Israel if they are mediated by Russia.

“We trust President Vladimir Putin and are confident that the meeting will bear fruit and stop Israel’s plans to annex a part of the occupied West Bank,” Al-Maliki said as quoted from Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

“Palestinians are willing to hold talks with Israel through video conferencing and under Russian mediation,” he said.

But Al-Maliki said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had twice foiled Russia’s plans to hold discussions in Moscow.

Earlier, Al-Maliki had said the United States could no longer be a mediator of Palestinian peace with Israel because Washington had sided with Israel.

“We cannot accept the US Government as the sole intermediary for peace between us and Israel. The US has taken sides and they are now fully adopting Israel’s position. The result is they are not honest intermediaries anymore, “Al-Maliki said in a virtual press conference with reporters from the UN association of correspondents in Geneva, ACANU on Monday as quoted from Anadolu Agency website.

He also highlighted Israel’s plan to annex a portion of the West Bank, even though Palestine had accepted all UN resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 86 of Resolution 242 in 1967 and Resolution 2334 in 2016.

“Now, the newly formed Israeli Government openly and officially declares the annexation of the territory of the Palestinian state as its priority. For this declaration of war on Palestinian rights, Israel relies on what is called the “Deal of the Century” which was initiated by the US Government which we totally reject, “said Al-Maliki. (T / RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)