On July 4, the second day of his visit to Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met with a panel of journalists, including one from Al-Monitor, at the Beirut hotel he was staying in. He discussed the negotiations with Israel, Palestinian reconciliation, relations with Hamas, Palestinians in Lebanon, and their armed groups in the refugee camps. Abbas took noteworthy positions, on which he was asked whether and how they can be implemented.

Abbas started his discussion with a quick introduction that focused on key issues. He said, “First, there is [US Secretary of State] John Kerry’s political mission. We hope that, in his upcoming visit 10 days from now, he will have something that will help us return to the negotiating table. There are vigorous US efforts that, if successful, will mark a new beginning. If we negotiate, that doesn’t mean that we will achieve everything. But we will strive to achieve our national goals, first and foremost Jerusalem, which concerns the Arab and Muslim worlds, and the whole world. We will not concede on our right to Jerusalem. We promise that if Jerusalem is not the capital of Palestine, then there will be no solution.”

“The second point is about the Palestinian reconciliation, which has been stumbling. But I assert that if Hamas agrees to hold elections, we are ready to hold them within three months. And they will be free and fair. So I ask God to guide them [Hamas] to end this shameful and divisive stage in our history.”

“The third point is about our relations with Lebanon, which are based on a sound foundation. We are temporary guests in this country and we are under the law, not above it. We are a positive element. We do not interfere in Lebanese affairs nor do we side with one Lebanese party against another. We want Lebanon to be stable, united and sovereign. The same thing goes for our relations with our Arab brothers. We don’t interfere in what is happening in any Arab country, especially with regard to the events that started in Tunisia, then moved to Egypt, Syria, Yemen and others.”