From the Liveblog of
Friday, May 9, 2025
PA’s Abbas tells Jerusalem peace summit he rejects terror, backs 2-state solution
Rossella Tercatin is The Times of Israel's archaeology and religions reporter.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the People’s Peace Summit in Jerusalem in a video message.
“After all these years of conflict, war and suffering, many are wondering, is there still a chance to achieve peace based on the two-state solution?” Abbas asks. “I say with confidence, yes, peace can be achieved and all the people in the region can live in security and stability.”
Abbas says that in order to do so, “justice that gives everyone their rights” is needed.
He states he rejects terrorism in all forms, without explicitly mentioning Hamas or its onslaught of October 7, 2023.
Abbas also declares that he is in favor of releasing “all detainees and prisoners,” a possible reference to the Israeli hostages in Gaza, but also to the Palestinian security inmates detained in Israeli prisons.
He calls for a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital that can live side by side with the State of Israel, calling this the one way for peace.
The Times of Israel Community.