Russia’s Foreign Ministry is confirming reports that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and PA (Palestinian Authority) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) will be meeting in Moscow. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has confirmed this in the media.

According to a Yisrael Hayom report quoting Zakharova, while the two have agreed in principle to meet, the time of such a meeting is yet to be announced.

Earlier in the week Abu Mazen announced a willingness to return to the negotiating table providing Israel agrees to;

1) Halt all settlements construction

2) Halt all new/illegal outposts

3) Release prisoners whose release was agreed to in past talks

PM Netanyahu this week echoed the PA leader’s statement, announcing he too is willing to return to the negotiating table with the PA, however “without any preconditions”.

It now appears Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to act as a third-party mediator to advance the resumption of a diplomatic process between Israel and the PA.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)