Palestine ready for two-state solution with Israel, President Abbas tells Trump

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that 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 stated in a congratulatory message to US President Donald Trump on his inauguration day on January 20, as reported by Caliber.Az, citing a Palestinian news outlet.

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 Gulf Arab states normalised ties with it under US-brokered agreements.

Trump has taken credit for securing a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Gaza war, with his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff taking part in negotiations that finally produced an agreement that came into effect on January 19.

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 (PA), which Abbas leads, in a post-war Gaza.

On January 17, 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 towards a more prosperous and peaceful world.”

During his first presidency, Donald Trump introduced a Middle East peace plan titled "Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People," unveiled on January 28, 2020. This plan proposed a two-state solution, envisioning an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Key elements included the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Israeli sovereignty over certain West Bank settlements, and the establishment of a Palestinian state with limited sovereignty.

By Khagan Isayev