Peres says he has been holding meetings with Abbas

Israeli president says Palestinian Authority head ‘wants peace’

Shimon Peres (left) with Mahmoud Abbas during a 2010 meeting (photo credit: Jose Marquez/GPO/Flash90)
Shimon Peres (left) with Mahmoud Abbas during a 2010 meeting (photo credit: Jose Marquez/GPO/Flash90)

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s president says he’s been meeting with the Palestinian leader — a rarity with peace talks frozen — and believes he wants peace.

Shimon Peres says he has met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other officials several times in recent months.

“They like us, want peace,” Peres said Tuesday. “I believe that it is possible to renew the negotiations with the current Palestinian leadership.”

There was no immediate comment from Palestinian officials.

Palestinians refuse to resume talks unless Israel stops building on territory they claim for a future state. Israel says negotiations should proceed without preconditions. Talks have been stalled for about three years.

Peres won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with Israel’s premier, Yitzhak Rabin, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for previous peace efforts.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

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