Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met on Monday morning 2 Elul in Jerusalem, with Mr. Mikhail Bogdanov, President Vladimir Putin’s Special Envoy for the Middle East.

The two discussed the possibility of coordinating a meeting between the Prime Minister and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). They also discussed President Putin’s proposal to host a face-to-face meeting between the Prime Minister and President Abbas in Moscow.

The Prime Minister presented Israel’s position that he is always ready to meet with President Abbas directly and without preconditions. He is therefore reviewing the Russian President’s proposal and the timing of a possible meeting.

Interestingly, just this week, Abu Mazen announced his willingness to return to diplomatic negotiations with Israel, but only if Israel agrees to PA preconditions, which Jerusalem has rejected.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)