Abbas hopes Paris summit ends Israeli settlements

The Palestinian Authority President said Tuesday that he hopes the upcoming Mideast conference in France will set a timetable to end settlements, as Israel moves ahead with new housing unit construction in eastern Jerusalem, despite the recent UN Security Council resolution condemning construction there. The developments came just days after the United

States broke with past practice and allowed the UN Security Council to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem as a “flagrant violation” of international law. Abbas’s comments early Tuesday morning were his first public remarks since the UN vote. “The decision lays the foundation for any future serious negotiation … READ MORE