SAJBD & President Abbas agree on 2-state model

Yesterday, the senior leadership of the South African Jewish community, comprising representatives of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies and SA Zionist Federation, met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and President Zuma at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria. The Jewish delegation was much reassured by President Abbas' confirmation that he and his government are committed to achieving peaceful co-existence with Israel based on the Two-State model.

The discussion focused on President Abbas' views on what form a final peace settlement between Israel and Palestine should take and what needs to be done to achieve this. 

This, he said, means pursuing a negotiated solution aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel based on the 1967 borders, where necessary with land swaps. All issues need to be negotiated with Israel to end the conflict. 

The South African Jewish leadership welcomes the confirmation by President Abbas that he and his government remain committed to a negotiated two-state solution to the conflict with Israel and to working with the Israeli government towards attaining that goal. It further supports all efforts by the South African government aimed at bringing the respective parties together and taking the process forward.

The Jewish leadership reiterated that as South Africans they understood the importance of direct, face to face negotiations between the parties in order to achieve a lasting peace settlement.

Statement issued by Zev Krengel and Mary Kluk, South African Jewish Board of Deputies, November 27 2014

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