Palestine calls on Israel to present peace program to realize two-state solution

Ramallah: Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye has called on the Israeli government to present a peace program for realising a "two-state solution" on 1967 borders.

A plan proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to restrict the conflict "is nothing more than throwing dust in the eyes of the international community", Ishtaye told the Palestinian cabinet here.

"We are confident that neither the United States nor Europe will buy Bennett's plan," Ishtaye said, adding that "reducing the conflict is a plan aimed at reducing the Palestinian land and repositioning the Israeli occupation in the Palestinian territories".

Ishtaye referred to Bennett's plan reportedly revealed Friday at an off-the-record Zoom call with leaders from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

"Steps to reduce tension with the Palestinians will be taken, although there is no political breakthrough," and "everyone realizes that we do not expect a political breakthrough with the Palestinians in the near future," Bennett was quoted as saying by the Israeli media.

Ishtaye told the weekly cabinet meeting that "reducing tension with the Palestinians is through the cessation of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and a timetable for ending the Israeli occupation".

"Other than that, it remains in the form and does not touch the essence of the conflict, which is related to ending the occupation, stopping settlement and finding a fair solution for the Palestinian refugees' question," he added.

Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are claimed by the Palestinians, in the 1967 Middle East war and has controlled them ever since.