JERUSALEM -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for an international conference early next year to "launch a genuine peace process" while criticizing the recent decision of two Arab countries to normalize relations with Israel.
The Palestinians have rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to end the conflict, which overwhelmingly favours Israel, and have officially cut off contacts with both the U.S. and Israel.
Instead, they have called for a multilateral peace process based on U.N. resolutions and past agreements.
They have also rejected the decision of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to normalize ties with Israel. They view it as a betrayal of the longstanding Arab consensus that recognition should only come in exchange for territorial concessions.
