Israel PM must cooperate: Abbas

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas says he expects the new Israeli government to recognise the two-state solution.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will work with any Israeli government that accepts the principle of a two-state solution, his spokesman says.

The statement comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won a shock re-election victory.

"It doesn't matter to us who the next prime minister of Israel is, what we expect from this government is to recognise the two-state solution," Nabil Abu Rudeina said in a statement on Wednesday.

"On this basis, we will continue to cooperate with any Israeli government that is committed to international resolutions," he said, adding that without such a commitment, any future peace negotiations would have "no chance".

On Monday, just hours before election campaigning formally closed, Netanyahu ruled out the establishment of a Palestinian state if re-elected, effectively reneging on his 2009 endorsement of a two-state solution.

He also pledged to build thousands of homes for Jewish settlers in annexed Arab east Jerusalem to prevent any territorial concessions that would lead to the establishment there of a Palestinian capital.

Speaking to public radio on Wednesday, Netanyahu confidant Tzahi HaNegbi said that if the Palestinian Authority "changed its attitude" it would find "Likud's hand held out to resume dialogue".

He also denied that Netanyahu had ruled out the creation of a Palestinian state.


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Source: AAP



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