NAZARETH, (PIC)-- The Israeli President Shimon Peres stated that he regularly meets with high ranking officials of the Palestinian Authority without the need for mediators, at a time there are increasing Israeli demands for launching direct talks with the PA.
The statement by Peres was in response to news reports that Peres asked the head of the Kadima bloc in the Knesset to Haim Ramon to meet with Saeb Urikat, the chief PLO negotiator, to advice him against going for direct negotiations with the Israeli government.
A statement issued by the Israeli President's office on Thursday said that Peres meets with all leaders of the world including PA officials and he does not need mediators to do that.
The Israeli radio has reported that the opposition Kadima party has asked the PA not to go for direct negotiations with the Netanyahu government as such negotiations would be fruitless.
The radio quoted a witness who overheared a conversation between Haim Ramon and Saib Urikat as saying that Ramon advised Urikat not to move to direct talks the Netanyahu government during a meeting that took place at the restaurant of the American Colony Hotel in East Jerusalem on 8 July.
According to the witness, Ramon told Urikat that he was sent by Peres and that there was no way that the present Prime Minister will offer the Palestinians more than what the former Prime Minister has offered, thus moving to direct negotiations was a waste of time.
Meanwhile, Ramon admitted that the witness's statement was partially right, but he denied that he was asked by Peres to convey this message to the PA.
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