Abbas sends message of peace to Meretz members

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told members of the left-wing Meretz party Thursday that he hoped to strengthen ties between Israeli and Palestinian groups and activists working to achieve peace in the region.

“We are eager to strengthen our relationship with Israeli peace forces, at a time of rising influence of radical forces against peace,” Abbas said in a prerecorded speech broadcast during the annual Meretz convention in Jerusalem.

“The peace as our nation calls it, is permanent peace based on justice and acceptance of others, and renunciation of violence and terrorism in all its forms. We all stand together and on our shoulders is a great responsibility to stop the downward spiral towards violence,” he continued, according to Haaretz.

Abbas added that “the first step to success is up to Israel, which must implement the agreements it signed and change the prevailing climate in preparation for a genuine renewal of serious negotiations between the two sides to give our people hope for the future.”

The Palestinian Authority president went on to call on Israel to end its military and civilian presence in the West Bank.

“Our people suffered a lot of great injustice caused due to the ongoing occupation,” he said. “It is therefore time to end the cursed occupation and put an end to the suffering of the peoples of the region and the world.”

About a thousand members of the Meretz party attended the conference at the Jerusalem Cinematheque.