Netanyahu vows to hold peace talks with PA

Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Wednesday to engage in peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.

"I will negotiate with the PA for peace," the Likud leader told Israeli, Arab and foreign businesspeople, speaking at the STEP Jerusalem Wealth Management Conference.

He also said that peace is an enduring goal for all Israeli governments, and that the Palestinians must understand that his government will be a partner for peace.

The comments appeared to be aimed at easing concerns that the right-wing leader will try to freeze past peace efforts once he takes office.

Netanyahu has said in the past that instead of talking about contentious issues such as the status of Jerusalem, the first step to a lasting peace needs to be the fostering of the Palestinians' economic situation.

At the conference, he also stressed the importance of Palestinian economic development.

The Likud leader told the conference participants that "security, prosperity and peace are all intertwined," and urged them to invest in the Palestinian economy.

"You won't be disappointed," he told the businesspeople