Foreign Policy Representative for EU Catherine Ashton today left the Arab Peace Initiative meeting after only 15 minutes of the closed session. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Secretary-General of the Arab League Nabil al-Arabi attended the meeting. Ashton urged leaders to establish a Palestinian state through direct negotiations with Israeli officials, diplomatic sources said. This view is strongly opposed by the Palestinian faction who will be seeking statehood recognition at the general assembly of the United Nations. Abbas met with Ashton in the Arab League headquarters before the meeting. The two officials discussed ways to avoid a diplomatic confrontation with Israeli officials, said Palestinian Foreign Minister Reyad al-Maliki. “If the European proposal served Palestinian interests we would welcome their support,” al-Maliki said. “If not, we will tel Ashton that we will go to the UN.”
