Palestinian leader Mah­moud Abbas key to peace, says ex-Israeli PM Ehud Olmert

Former Israel prime minister Ehud Olmert says Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is a partner for peace.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, left, and former Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert in New York. Picture: AFP.

Former Israel prime minister Ehud Olmert says ­Palestinian Authority President ­Mah­moud Abbas is a partner for peace, ­defiantly ­rejecting efforts by Benjamin Netanyahu’s gov­ern­ment to sideline the veteran­ leader.

Mr Olmert, Mr Netanyahu’s centrist predecessor who led ­Israel from 2006 to 2009, met Mr Abbas in New York hours after the Palestinian leader went ­be­fore the UN Security Council to denounce US President Don­ald Trump’s Middle East peace plan.

The former prime minister did not criticise Mr Trump’s plan, which paves the way for ­Israel to annex much of the West Bank, but said any future negotiations needed to involve Mr Abbas, 84, who is considered a ­moderate.

“He is a man of peace, he is ­opposed to terror, and therefore he is the only partner that we can deal with,” Mr Olmert said with Mr Abbas at his side.

“It will take some time but these negotiations will take place, and the partner of Israel to these negotiations will be Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority,” he said.

Hinting at Mr Netanyahu’s political woes, Mr Olmert said: “Who will be the partner on the Israeli side? We will know later this year.”

Mr Abbas, who succeeded Yasser Arafat in 2005, called Mr Olmert “my dear friend” and said he wanted to “extend my hand to the Israeli people”. “We want to achieve peace through peaceful means and nego­tiations,” he said. “We are against and do not want ­viol­ence.”

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, had warned Mr Olmert against meeting Mr Abbas, who Mr Netanyahu’s governmen­t accuses of inciting unrest. Mr Danon told the Security Council that the Palestinians needed a new leader, saying Mr Abbas was unable to consider the “realistic” Trump proposals.

Mr Olmert “is endorsing ­diplomatic terrorism against ­Israel. It is shameful,” Mr Danon said.

Mr Olmert is close to Mr Netan­yahu’s centrist rival Benny Gantz, who went neck-and-neck with the Prime Minister in two ­inconclusive elections last year, with a third vote scheduled for March 2.

Mr Olmert, who spent 16 months in prison on corruption charges after leaving office, said that he was not speaking for Mr Gantz. But the former member of Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party said he was convinced the Israeli right wing could not form governme­nt.

“The majority of the Israelis are not on the right-hand side, refusing­ to negotiate and ­demanding the annexation of the territories,” Mr Olmert said.

Brandishing a map of a future Palestine as laid out by Mr Trump, Mr Abbas denounced it as a “Swiss cheese” deal that would give the Palestinians only a “fragmented state” without contro­l of their airspace, sea or East Jerusalem.

“Who among you would ­accept such a state?” he said as he warned that Israel would create an “apartheid” situation if it moved ahead with annexation.

“I would like to say to Mr ­Donald Trump that his plan canno­t achieve peace and security as it cancels international legitimacy. It cancels all the rights of the Palestinians.

“This does not meet the aspir­ations of a two-state solution. If you impose peace, it will not last.”

The Palestinians have sought to rally international support against the plan, which Mr Trump unveiled alongside Mr Netanyahu on January 28.

But, in a setback, the Palestinians dropped plans for a vote on a resolution on Tuesday that would have denounced the proposal.

Diplomats said the US had put heavy pressure, including threats of financial repercussions, on ­Security Council members.

AFP