Abbas: ‘A Historic Peace Deal Is Possible’

Following a meeting in Ramallah on Tuesday with President Trump’s special envoy Jason Greenblatt, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a statement saying that “a historic peace deal is possible.”

No details were offered about what had prompted the statement.

“President Abbas told Mr. Greenblatt that he believes that under President Trump’s leadership, a historic peace deal is possible, and that it will enhance security throughout the region. President Abbas said he looked forward to discussing the possibilities for peace directly with President Trump during his upcoming visit to Washington.”

Mr. Greenblatt’s tweet after the meeting was not any more enlightening, except for a mention of Palestinian incitement against Israel:

“Just met with Palestinian President Abbas,” Mr. Greenblatt wrote. “We had a positive, far-ranging exchange about the current situation. President Abbas & I discussed how to make progress toward peace, building capacity of Palestinian security forces & stopping incitement.”

The two also mentioned a joint commitment “to combat violence and terrorism,” and President Abbas “assured Mr. Greenblatt that he is fully committed to creating an atmosphere that is conducive to making peace and would heighten his outreach efforts to the Israeli public.”

Both sides said they “reaffirmed the commitment of both the Palestinian Authority and the United States to advance a genuine and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.”