Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki on Tuesday responded to Israeli calls for an immediate resumption of peace talks, saying that Israel must accept the PA's list of terms before negotiations can restart.
"[Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu has to accept all terms of reference and stop settlement activity including [in] east Jerusalem, to enter negotiations immediately with [a] timeframe not to exceed six months [and] with international guarantees to make any negotiations serious and credible," Al Jazeera quoted Malki as saying in New York.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israel's Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor called for a renewal of negotiations without preconditions as soon as "tomorrow morning."
Prosor told Army Radio that efforts to thwart unilateral measures "that don't contribute to peace," are ongoing in New York, where PA President Mahmoud Abbas arrived Monday to bring the question of Palestinian statehood before the UN Security Council.
The Israeli envoy added that Israel's mission to the UN needed more help in carrying out its important task. "We need to give more resources and manpower to those standing on the diplomatic front."
Abbas met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday in New York and informed him of the Palestinian intention to apply for UN membership.
Netanyahu, who is scheduled to fly to New York late Tuesday evening, is slated to meet with Ban on Wednesday, a few hours after the prime minister meets with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the General Assembly meeting.
On Monday night Netanyahu called on Abbas to begin negotiations with him in New York that would continue in Jerusalem and Ramallah.
Netanyahu’s comments came in response to a filmed statement Abbas made on his plane to New York, saying “I’m ready to meet with [Netanyahu] at any time.”
No Netanyahu-Abbas meeting is currently scheduled during Netanyahu’s five-day trip to New York.
The Quartet on Middle East peace mediators met for the second straight day on
Monday night in new York, with a US official telling reporters that efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been productive and should continue.
Herb Keinon contributed to this report.
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