Abbas meets J Street delegation in Ramallah

[oberliner]

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas met with Washington-based Israel advocacy group J Street in his Ramallah office Monday, the organization said.

Abbas told the delegation he was willing to start negotiations with Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would freeze illegal settlement building for two or three months, J Street said in a statement.

The president said the coming months were a unique opportunity to negotiate an end to Israel's occupation, ahead of a possible UN vote on Palestinian statehood in September, the statement added.

He also said any government under his control would renounce violence, commit to prior agreements and recognize Israel's right to exist through a two-state solution, J Street said.

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