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Abbas to attend Peres funeral

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will attend the funeral of former Israeli President Shimon Peres.

He will be accompanied to Friday morning’s funeral with a delegation from the Palestinian Authority, according to reports citing COGAT, or Coordination of Government Activity in the Territories, a military unit that handles Israel’s civilian affairs in the West Bank.

Abbas’ office contacted the head of COGAT to coordinate Abbas’ visit.

Netanyahu approved the request for Abbas to enter Israel, Haaretz reported. It will be Abbas’ first official visit in Israel since September 2010.

The delegation reportedly will include PLO Executive Committee Secretary General Saeb Erekat; Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh; and General Intelligence Chief Majd Faraz; as well as former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei.

Abbas called Peres a “brave” partner for peace in a condolence letter sent to his family Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry reportedly will represent Egypt at the funeral; it is not known who will represent Jordan, the other Arab country with which Israel has a peace treaty.

Joint Arab List chairman Ayman Odeh said Thursday that he will not attend the funeral, the Jerusalem Post reported. His Israeli political party is the only one that did not issue a statement following Peres’ death, and no party representatives were scheduled to pay their respects at Peres’ coffin lying in state Thursday in front of the Knesset, according to the newspaper.

“The memory of Peres in the Arab public is different from the narrative discussed in recent years, and I realize such complex messages are difficult to hear a moment after someone died,” Odeh said in a tweet.

At least 80 world leaders are expected to arrive in Israel to attend Peres’ funeral.

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