Netanyahu plays down meeting with Abbas

PARIS — Netanyahu says his brief meeting today with PA President Abbas should not be misinterpreted as a harbinger of a rapprochement between the two men.

“It was purely protocol, not a working meeting,” he tells reporters on the sidelines of a climate conference in the French capital.

As world leaders attending the convention readied to pose for a group photo, Netanyahu was standing next to New Zealand’s prime minister, John Key, when suddenly Abbas arrived and was placed right next to Key, Netanyahu recalls. “So we shook hands, that’s crystal clear. But we didn’t talk.”

There are no plans for a formal meeting, he adds.

“It’s important for the world to see that we’re always willing to talk. But, on the other hand, I have no illusions about Abbas,” he says.

Abbas continues inciting against Israelis and Jews and is thus partially responsible for the ongoing wave of terror striking Israel, Netanyahu laments. “Abbas has to stop his incitement and to stop spreading lies about [Israel’s alleged intention to change the status quo at] the Temple Mount” in Jerusalem, he adds.

— Raphael Ahren