(VOVworld) – Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin did not meet in Brussels as scheduled.  

President Reuven Rivlin listens as President of the European Union Parliament Martin Schulz speaks during a joint press conference, after a session of the EU Parliament in Brussels, June 22, 2016. (Photo: AFP)

Earlier this week, the European Parliament (EP) President Martin Schulz sought to arrange what would have been the first meeting between Rivlin and Abbas as both were visiting the European capital to address the EP. The meeting is expected to include the attendance of some EU senior officials to restart peace negotiation between Israel and Palestine. Mr. Schulz said the meeting failed to happen as the two sides’ working schedules did not fit with each other.

On Wednesday, Israeli and Palestinian leaders spoke at the EP. Israel’s President Rivlin said the peace negotiations had failed due to the Palestinian Authority’s ineffective management of Palestinians. Meanwhile, President Abbas accused the Jewish State of carrying out extrajudicial killings of Palestinians and called  for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and a permanent border.