Palestinian leader calls for peace conference by mid-2018
UNITED NATIONS -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is calling for an international peace conference by mid-2018 with key goals of full U.N. membership for the state of Palestine and a timeframe for resolving all issues with Israel for a two-state solution.
Abbas made clear to the UN Security Council in a rare appearance at its monthly meeting on Mideast issues Tuesday that any future peace efforts cannot be US-brokered. He called President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital "dangerous" and one reason for the deadlock in peace efforts.
He outlined the Palestinian peace vision, starting with the peace conference in Moscow. Top Trump Mideast negotiators, who are preparing their own peace plan, sat in the council chamber listening.
