RAMALLAH: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration on Monday and said he was ready to work for peace with Israel based on a two-state solution.
“We are ready to work with you to achieve peace during your term, based on a two-state solution,” Abbas said in a statement published by the official Wafa news agency.
Abbas said it would mean “the State of Palestine and the State of Israel living side-by-side in security and peace, ensuring security and stability in our region and the world.”
In his first presidential term, from 2017 to 2021, Trump’s administration put together a peace proposal which would have involved Israel annexing much of the occupied West Bank while handing over some territory to a future Palestinian state in return.
The Palestinians strongly rejected the proposal, and Israel abandoned its annexation plans when some Gulf Arab states normalized ties with it under US-brokered agreements.
Trump has taken credit for securing a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff taking part in negotiations that finally produced an agreement that came into effect on Sunday.
A two-state solution has been the basis for the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians going back decades, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly refused to countenance an independent Palestinian state.
He has also rejected any role for the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, which Abbas leads, in a post-war Gaza Strip.
On Friday, Abbas had said the PA was ready to assume “full responsibility” for Gaza.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II also congratulated Trump, saying: “We greatly value our partnership with the United States and are committed to working with you toward a more prosperous and peaceful world.”
Palestinian president Abbas ‘ready to work’ with Trump on two-state solution
https://arab.news/g43gu
Palestinian president Abbas ‘ready to work’ with Trump on two-state solution
- “We are ready to work with you to achieve peace during your term, based on a two-state solution,” Abbas said
- Trump has taken credit for securing a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza
Iran president warns suppliers against overpricing goods
- The prices of some basic goods, such as cooking oil and eggs, have increased significantly since the policy was announced
TEHRAN: Iran’s president warned domestic suppliers against hoarding or overpricing goods, state media reported on Thursday, as Tehran rolls out high-stakes subsidy reforms amid nationwide protests over economic hardship.
“People should not feel any shortage in terms of goods’ supply and distribution,” Masoud Pezeshkian said, calling upon his government to ensure adequate supply of goods and monitoring of prices across the country.
Iran’s subsidy reform is intended to favor consumers over importers by removing preferential currency exchange rates that allowed importers to access foreign currency at rates cheaper than those available to ordinary Iranians.
Under the new policy, Iranians will receive about $7 per month to purchase basic goods at select grocery stores.
The prices of some basic goods, such as cooking oil and eggs, have increased significantly since the policy was announced.
Germany criticized the “excessive use of force” against protesters after authorities used live fire and tear gas to disperse demonstrations.
“It is their right to express their opinion peacefully,” said Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul of the protesters.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran remained open to negotiations with the US as long as they are based on “mutual respect and interests, but it was also ready for war if that is Washington’s intent.
Araqchi, speaking at a press conference in Beirut, added that his visit to Lebanon aimed to discuss Israel’s “challenges and threats” to regional security and to expand bilateral ties.
