German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke with Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas by telephone days after saying she would push him to return to negotiations with Israel, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday.
Neither leader indicated that they discussed a renewal of peace talks, but both voiced support for a “two-state solution” to the conflict.
The German Chancellor in the past has insisted that the “two-state solution” is the best way to end the conflict, though she signaled during a meeting with Netanyahu in 2016 that that she would turn down the pressure on Israel to push for a diplomatic process with the PA.
Abbas has rejected the Trump administration’s still unannounced Middle East peace plan, insisting the US is not an honest broker due to President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem and the relocation of the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Instead, he has sought to bypass the US peace efforts and has attempted to secure European sponsorship of negotiations with Israel.
