Abbas, Israeli leftist leader discuss future of peace talks

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed on Monday the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks with Zahava Gal-On, head of the Israeli leftist party Meretz, a senior Palestinian official said. Mohamed Madani, chairman of the Palestinian Committee for Dialogue with the Israeli Society, told reporters after the meeting held in Ramallah that Abbas and Gal-On discussed the peace process and their fear of its failure. "There was full understanding between Abbas and Gal-On to work together. Israeli and Palestinian lovers of peace need to work together to avoid the threats of danger that is used by far-right wing leaders in Israel," said Madani. He added that he hopes the talks United States President Barack Obama is holding with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and meeting with President Abbas on March 17 in White House will also improve the situation. Madani, who is also a member in the Central Committee of Abbas' Fatah party, warned that any failure in the peace process "will lead the entire region to an unknown future." He called on the Israeli leaders "to play a more active role in overcoming the obstacles that obstruct the success of the peace process, adding "we don trust all the left-wing parties in Israel. " When asked about U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's request to extend the peace talks for another nine months, Madani said " this is related to what extent Israel is committed to peace." Meanwhile, Gal-On told reporters at the end of her meeting with Abbas that her party fully supports the peace process based on the principle of the two-state solution and U.S. efforts to achieve a real and comprehensive peace. However, she warned that there are problems preventing an agreement between the two sides, "mainly the question of refugees, Jerusalem and water. We hope that the parties overcome them."