Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called President Isaac Herzog to wish him a happy new year on Rosh Hashanah on Tuesday.
During the call, Herzog called for good neighborly relations between Israel and the Palestinians and underscored the importance of working together to ensure calm and stop violent extremism.
Both leaders said they hope there will be increased civil and security cooperation in the coming year and quiet and security will be restored, according to the President’s Residence.
What Abbas said in contrast
During his speech to the UN General Assembly last week, Abbas repeated his threat to walk away from all agreements with Israel, which would mean less security cooperation.
Abbas also threatened to revoke the PLO and Fatah’s recognition of the State of Israel.
“We have the right and obligation to explore other means to achieve our rights,” he said.
The PA president called on “the UN to force Israel to comply with all international resolutions pertaining to the Israel-Arab conflict.”
At the same time, Abbas said he was ready to return to peace talks with Israel.
Prime Minister Yair Lapid called in his speech for “an agreement with the Palestinians based on two states for two peoples,” saying it is “the right thing for Israel’s security, for Israel’s economy and the future of our children.”
“We have only one condition: That a future Palestinian state is a peaceful one,” Lapid added, “that it will not become another terror base from which to threaten the well-being and the very existence of Israel.”
“We have only one condition: That a future Palestinian state is a peaceful one.”
Prime Minister Yair Lapid