Under a veil of secrecy, Labor Chairwoman and Opposition Leader Shelly Yachimovich met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at his Ramallah office on Sunday. The two discussed the situation in the Middle East and weighed the chances of moving forward with the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Yachimovich, who told the media about the meeting only after its conclusion, stressed "the Labor party's deep commitment to the peace process and the two-state solution." She also stressed that Israel's most crucial interest under any agreement would be to maintain its security. The Labor leader said she told Abbas there was a need to immediately enter negotiations, the framework of which would allow both sides to examine the other's position on the key issues. "This is the time to answer the U.S. call and renew talks," she said, adding that "the opposition will provide a safety net [for the government] if significant steps are taken toward a diplomatic agreement." In Ramallah, meanwhile, officials declined to share details of the meeting with the press. A senior PA official did agree to tell Israel Hayom that Yachimovich requested the meeting, and that the Palestinians agreed to it on the condition it be kept a secret. The official also said that during the meeting, which lasted about one hour, the two discussed the ways in which to advance the stalled diplomatic process, and that Yachimovich promised Abbas that she would support the Netanyahu government from the opposition in case of a breakthrough in negotiations with the Palestinians. During the last election campaign, Yachimovich received a great deal of criticism for focusing on economic issues, and is now returning her attention to the diplomatic process. Most of the criticism was directed at Yachimovich by Amir Peretz, who left Labor to join Tzipi Livni's Hatnuah Party. In the meantime, Israel is preparing for the arrival next week of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who is expected to continue ironing out a guideline to facilitate the resumption of negotiations between the sides.
