(AFP).Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday intensified calls for face-to-face peace talks with the Palestinians, pledging to visit Ramallah if Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas would come to Jerusalem.
Netanyahu spoke to reporters after talks with visiting US Middle East envoy George Mitchell and one week ahead of a visit to the White House for a meeting with US President Barack Obama.
"I call on president Abu Mazen to come to Jerusalem,I'm prepared to go to Ramallah."
"I hope and I believe that a main part of my conversations with President Obama in Washington next week will be focused on how to start direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians right away".
"I think that this is the only way that we'll solve the intricate problems that we're discussing between us," he added.
Mitchell earlier visited an Israeli land crossing into the Gaza Strip to see at first hand the effects of Israel's easing of tough restrictions on goods entering the blockaded Palestinian enclave.
"We appreciate the changes that have been made," Mitchell said, standing next to Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
"There's been a great deal of progress in terms of permitting additional goods into Gaza, and I was assured by your people there that whatever the demand is, the capacity will be there to meet it."
Netanyahu spoke to reporters after talks with visiting US Middle East envoy George Mitchell and one week ahead of a visit to the White House for a meeting with US President Barack Obama.
"I call on president Abu Mazen to come to Jerusalem,I'm prepared to go to Ramallah."
"I hope and I believe that a main part of my conversations with President Obama in Washington next week will be focused on how to start direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians right away".
"I think that this is the only way that we'll solve the intricate problems that we're discussing between us," he added.
Mitchell earlier visited an Israeli land crossing into the Gaza Strip to see at first hand the effects of Israel's easing of tough restrictions on goods entering the blockaded Palestinian enclave.
"We appreciate the changes that have been made," Mitchell said, standing next to Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
"There's been a great deal of progress in terms of permitting additional goods into Gaza, and I was assured by your people there that whatever the demand is, the capacity will be there to meet it."