Ramallah: US special envoy George Mitchell met Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on Thursday amid warnings that peace talks will remain stagnant unless Israel's new government commits to a two-state solution.
"Until the (Benjamin) Netanyahu government unequivocally affirms its support for the two-state solution, implements Israel's roadmap obligations and abides by previous agreements, Palestinians have no partner for peace," top negotiator Saeb Erakat said after the meeting in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
Mitchell emerged from the talks reiterating "the two-state solution is the only solution" and that "a comprehensive peace in the region is in the US national interest."
The largely right-wing cabinet of Israel's hawkish prime minister has distanced itself from past governments' support for the US-backed concept of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, and has called previous agreements into question.
Mitchell and Abbas both "emphasised the shared commitment of the (President Barack) Obama administration and the Palestinian leadership to the two-state solution," Erakat said in a statement.
The Abbas-Mitchell talks came after meetings in Jerusalem yesterday that highlighted the rift between the United States and Israel over the Middle East peace process.