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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine must embrace peace and stop paying terrorists in order to end the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Netanyahu said this while on official visit to Washington DC, United States (US).
“To get peace, President Abbas has to embrace peace and to stop supporting terror … He pays about $350 million a year to terrorists and their families,” Netanyahu said during remarks to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference.
The prime minister added that he is committed to achieving peace with all of Israel’s neighbors, including the Palestinians.
On Monday, Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Director-General Alexander Ben-Zvi said Israel is still ready for direct talks with the Palestinians, but a meaningful proposal is needed in order to start the dialogue.
For decades, Israel has been in conflict with the Palestinians, who have been seeking diplomatic recognition for their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which are partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip.