'Abbas still partner for peace'

Shimon Peres

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is still a "serious partner" for peace despite his successful bid for UN non-state membership, Israeli President Shimon Peres told AFP in an exclusive interview yesterday.
"I tried to influence him not to do it right now. I told him: look it's not the proper time to do it," Peres said. "But I still believe he's a serious partner and a serious man and I have respect for him."
Abbas, he said, had shown "courage" by seeking the status upgrade at the United Nations in the face of strong opposition from Israel and the United States, which say a Palestinian state can emerge only out of bilateral talks.
Abbas's attempt to secure upgraded UN status was harshly criticised by many in Israel's ruling rightwing coalition, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself saying it "violated" existing agreements with the Palestinians and that his government would "act accordingly."
A day after the November 29 vote, Israel announced plans to build 3,000 new settler homes, some of them in an extremely sensitive area of the West Bank near Jerusalem, prompting a major diplomatic backlash against the Jewish state.
But he said negotiations would only be possible after next month's general
election.
"I think that until January 22, very little can be done. We have to wait until the elections and then we shall have the next government and then will be the time to renew the negotiations," he said.