Clashes between Palestinian and Israeli police in Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem on August 11, 2019. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Speaking alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Berlin, Merkel said that Palestinians and Israelis must be able to live side-by-side in peace and security. Germany, the biggest donor to the Palestinian territories, will continue to support economic development and strengthen civil society there, Merkel said.

Abbas said that Palestinians are ready to negotiate a two-state solution within the 1967 borders, but he criticized US President Donald Trump for taking the side of Israel on such issues as the status of Jerusalem, refugees, borders, and settlements. He said Palestinians demand that negotiations fall under an international umbrella composed of a quartet of European states and Arab states to guide talks between Israelis and Palestinians.