US has disqualified itself from Middle East peace process, says Abbas

The US has "disqualified" itself from the Middle East peace process due to its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday.

"The United States are no longer an honest mediator in the peace process, we will not accept any plan put forward by the United States," said Abbas, at a joint news briefing in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Abbas also condemned a threat by US President Donald Trump to cut off financial aid to countries that voted at the United Nations against the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

US 'marginalised'

On Thursday, 128 countries defied Trump and voted in favour of a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for the US to drop its recent recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Macron reiterated on Friday that France remained committed to a two-state solution, namely one in which Israel and Palestine peacefully co-exist side-by-side with one another.

Macron added that France would recognise a Palestinian state "at the right time," and not under pressure.

"The Americans have marginalised themselves and I am trying to not do the same thing," Macron said, conscious that any move to recognise Palestine would antagonise the Israelis.

Trust in Macron

Abbas' visit to Paris less than a fortnight after a trip to the French capital by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has raised speculation about whether Macron might be tempted to mediate in the world's most intractable conflict.

Abbas praised the young centrist at the Paris news conference, notable for the warmth of the exchanges and the relaxed body language.

"We have trust in you. We respect the efforts made by you and we count heavily on your efforts," Abbas told him.

TRT World spoke to Paris-based journalist Elena Casas for more on Abbas-Macron meeting.

Palestine 'not on its own'

Macron replied that he had "committed myself very clearly to doing everything" to further the peace process and would visit the Palestinian territories in 2018 and "intensify" contacts between the French and Palestinian governments.

"Palestine is not on its own. We will work so that she can live within sound and recognised borders, in security alongside Israel, with Jerusalem as the capital of the two states," Macron tweeted afterwards.