Visiting White House advisers convey to PA leader that Israeli construction in West Bank, East Jerusalem will continue
Construction of new buildings in the West Bank settlement of Na’ale, February 8, 2017. (Flash90)
A visiting delegation of White House officials reportedly told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas this week that a freeze on Israeli settlement building was impossible as it would topple the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
PA officials told the pan-Arab newspaper al-Hayat that the Trump administration delegation made the remarks to Abbas during their meeting in Ramallah on Thursday, indicating that a settlement freeze could not be a precondition for resumed peace talks and that building would thus continue.
Al-Hayat said the US delegation did not make significant progress in its bid to revive the stagnated Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and told the Palestinian leader it would work to strengthen economic, security and diplomatic ties between Israel and the PA before any talks would resume.
White House adviser and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, peace envoy Jason Greenblatt and Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategy Dina Powell met with Abbas on Thursday as part of a trip to the region aimed at looking for way to jumpstart peace talks.
For weeks, Palestinian officials had expressed pessimism at US peace efforts, and Abbas had reportedly sought a US commitment to endorse the two-state solution.
The delegation indicated openness to the notion of a two-state solution, but did not indicate a commitment to Palestinian statehood based on the pre-1967 lines, according to the al-Hayat report.
Despite a State Department spokesperson declining to endorse a two-state solution a day before the meetings, Abbas on Thursday still gave the US team his vote of confidence in official remarks. Abbas expressed optimism that a deal with Israel could be reached with the help of “sincere” efforts from the Trump administration.
“We affirm that this [US] delegation is working toward peace, and we are working with it to achieve soon what Trump called the ‘peace deal,’” Abbas said.
In his remarks carried by the official PA news outlet, Wafa, Kushner did not mention a two-state solution and only offered vague sentiments about peace in the future.
“President Trump is very optimistic and hopes for a better future for the Palestinian people and the Israeli people,” Kushner said.
“We hope they can work together and live together for many years and have a much better life,” he added.
A joint statement issued after the Ramallah talks stated: “The Palestinian Authority and the US delegation had a productive meeting focused on how to begin substantive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Both sides agreed to continue with the US-led conversations as the best way to reach a comprehensive peace deal.”
The delegation arrived in Israel after several meetings with other leaders around the Middle East on the topic, including in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Before meeting with Abbas on Thursday, the delegation met with Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, where Kushner told the prime minister that Trump is “very committed” to help broker a peace deal.
Kushner also said “the relationship between Israel and America is stronger than ever and we really thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for his leadership and his partnership.”
Netanyahu in response said he believed peace with the Palestinians was “within our reach.”
@ Ted Belman:
It looks as if this matter was firmly disposed of by Kushner during his meeting with Abbas. He said he saw no reason for Israel to stop building and that Israel had compromised enough…and also said a lot more, none of which was complimentary to the Arabim Mamzerim. But Abbas, in his best display of Political Correctness and Arab dissimulation, said he was pleased with the meeting.
So it seems that Trump, if not yet firing on all 8 cylinders, is still going strongly enough to show where he stands with Israel.
Israel should not agree to freeze settlements because the Jews were recognized by 53 states including the US and the UK as having a conditional right to settle in all of Palestine west of the Jordan River and those conditions have been met.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/19588
@ Lorenzo:
That’s a nonsensical statement relying on Arab “tacquiya”, which is a pile of drek. What difference does it make what Abbas says or promises. None is kept, and he’s a born liar. The only thing is sure is, that Abbas will do everything in his power to destroy the Jewish State, or at least destroy the relationship with the US…..as a starter, so to accept anything that Abbas might or might not be “expected\\” to do is worthless….except as a bit of “tacquiya” ourselves.
I can just see him saying all the nice things to the “Peace” negotiators and telling his buddies in Arabic, that it’s just a ploy as Muhammed..Blasted be he, did to the Jews at Medina.
The Arabs have a HEREDITARY hatred of Jews engraved in their DNA, so get used to it, You should have years ago already; and please stop the childish solutions.
As they used to say hundreds of years ago…”only cold steel will settle this matter”.
Why did the U.S. delegation meet Netanyahu in Tel Aviv rather than Jerusalem which is the capital of Israel? When Abbas comes here does he meet our officials in New York City or in Washington D.C.? Just more kowtowing to the Palestinians.
@ Lorenzo:
Israel should never agree to a settlement freeze.
Netanyahu should agree to freeze settlement growth if the Palestinians publicly abandon their demand that their refugees have the right to return to Israel. Since the Pals will never abandon their demand, Bibi will get off the hook.