RAMALLAH, West Bank - The Palestinian president wants to meet with newly elected Israeli parliament members to lay out his views on peace, hoping a political surge of centrists will provide an opening to resume long-stalled negotiations on a Palestinian state, a senior aide said Thursday.
President Mahmoud Abbas' main target appears to be Yair Lapid, leader of the moderate Yesh Atid (There is a Future) party, who is expected to be influential in setting the priorities of the next government.
Lapid has said he wants Israel to make a serious push for peace, though it is unclear how far he will press the issue in coalition negotiations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In recent public appearances, he has barely breached the issue, focusing instead on domestic economic concerns.
Netanyahu and Lapid met Thursday, two days after the election, though formal coalition negotiations will only start next week and could take up to six weeks.
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Lapid has campaigned on an agenda that includes ending draft exemptions and government stipends for ultra-Orthodox Jews. But two incoming legislators from his party said Thursday that making peace with the Palestinians is just as important. Lapid might be forced to choose between those two issues.
Netanyahu may balk at excluding right-wing parties from his coalition in order to move forward with peace talks.
At the same time, efforts to draft Jewish seminary students would likely invite the pro-settler Jewish Home party into the government. The party looks willing to cooperate on that front but wants to annex some of lands the Palestinians want.
