Netanyahu most difficult Israeli leader, Abbas says

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is the most difficult Israeli leader to negotiate with, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview with the pan-Arabic daily Asharq Alawsat.

Abbas named Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni as Israeli leaders that were easier to work with.

Abbas also said that he would not give his opinion of the Quartet's proposals until he returns to Ramallah and discusses its provisions with Palestinian leadership there. He reiterated the return to 1967 borders and halting of settlement construction as pre-conditions to negotiations, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The Middle East Quartet – the US, EU, Russia and the UN – has been trying for months to come up with a formula that would enable direct talks. Its formula was released on Friday afternoon, after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas formally submitted a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon seeking full UN membership.

The Quartet statement urged the parties “to overcome the current obstacles and resume direct bilateral Israeli-Palestinian negotiations without delay or preconditions.”

Acknowledging that talks by themselves will not reestablish trust, the Quartet proposed the following: a “preparatory meeting” between the parties within a month to agree to an agenda and a “method of proceeding in the negotiation.” The two sides will commit that the objective is to “reach an agreement within a time frame agreed to by the parties but not longer than the end of 2012.”