The White House on Thursday pushed back against a report that US President Barack Obama would pressure Israeli and Palestinian leaders in upcoming weeks to make progress on peace talks, saying meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would be used only to “take stock” of the negotiations.
“The prime minister’s visit, as well as President Abbas’s visit on March 17, will be important opportunities for the president to take stock of where we are and to work through the details with them,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Thursday.
Netanyahu is slated to meet Obama on Monday, and on Thursday the White House announced that Abbas would visit the White House on March 17.
Earlier in the day, The New York Times reported that the visits are part of a bid by Obama to take a greater role in the peace talks, including plans to pressure both Abbas and Netanyahu to accept the non-binding “framework” agreement drawn up by US Secretary of State John Kerry.
However, unnamed US officials told Israeli television that the report was false and Obama would decide whether to take a more active role only after the March meetings. A Channel 2 report also quoted a diplomatic source in Jerusalem as saying Netanyahu was ready to accept the framework terms.
Negotiations are slated to end in April, and on Wednesday, Kerry said they would likely need to be extended. But chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Thursday that the talks would not be extended beyond April.
The sides are expected to be presented soon with the framework plan that will guide future negotiations, though many key issues reportedly remain to be ironed out.
“The parties are talking about the core issues, including borders, security, Jerusalem, refugees, mutual recognition, an end of conflict and an end of claims,” Carney said.
He claimed the framework plan would “be a significant breakthrough” as it would contour a final-status agreement.
“The framework is an important step. We’ll see how the coming weeks unfold in terms of progress on it,” he said.
A Wednesday report in Palestinian media, however, suggested that Kerry’s proposal was finding little support in Ramallah.
According to al-Quds, the most widely read Palestinian daily, during a meeting in Paris last week, Kerry offered for Abbas to form a Palestinian capital in the neighborhood of Beit Hanina, not all of East Jerusalem, as the Palestinians have demanded.
Kerry also suggested that Israel keep 10 settlement blocs as part of any territorial exchange.
The Jordan Valley would not be part of a future Palestinian state, Palestinian sources told the paper, nor would there be an international force stationed there. And Kerry reportedly demanded that the Palestinians recognize Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.
The report, which received no official confirmation, said Abbas exploded with rage over the US secretary’s proposals, and described them as “insanity.”
The PA president threatened to “overturn tables” and to go back on the flexibility he had shown in order to facilitate US-led peace efforts, according to al-Quds.
Read more: White House: Obama won’t pressure sides over framework deal | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/white-house-obama-wont-pressure-sides-over-framework-deal/#ixzz2udWNRXF2
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good one Josh.
Fred
“opportunities for the president to take stock of where we are”
That should be a short meeting……………. if there are not too many postponements.
Mickey
bernard ross Said:
I wish those in authority would listen to your advice. I am very much skeptical of the so called peace process. No matter what a mass media says, the Israeli leadership should bargain from a position of strength by resisting a pressure from within and out. The world is biased against Israel and the Jews. An inch from Yerusalem should not be given to anyone as it is the City of God. Those who want to divide Yeruslem and a part of the land of Israel are making a grave mistake. No one has a right to divide His land. I believe Israel can survive and even thrive in any attack against its enemies. My concern is more about the naivete of the left who blindly believe that giving more of its tiny land could bring peace to Israel. It has not and won’t happen absent a miracle and a decisive victory on the battle field and diplomatically (as much as possible).
This would not have occurred without the sunni jihadi degrading of Syria and hezbullah.
just because a 2 state solution is a failure doesn’t mean to implement one state with citizenship. I say no citizenship to saboteurs in Israel merely to satisfy foreigners notions. Let them have a temporary autonomous zone in Israel with local political rights but no citizenship in Israel. Israel will control all international and security issues. They wont be happy but tough crap, its safer for the jews. If they give no trouble then allow it to continue, it there is trouble begin forced expulsions. Build the solution around the needs of Israel and not the needs and desires of the enemy.
Perhaps an Israeli unilateral move which takes more than Pal can agree to give would suit abbas and they would probably get more than they have now. In such a move all the issues which cannot be resolved will be defacto ignored: no recognition, no formal link to gaza, no resolution to refugee issue, no swaps, no divided Jerusalem. Most importantly no giveaways by either side. Israel would keep more than they were expected to get in an agreement and appear to be strong by annexing some of C and not having swaps. Israel will be in the Jordan Valley but Pals will not have agreed to it, except under the table. UN could declare a state and Abbas would be its first president with his legacy. they could then negotiate or confed with Jordan, etc. later with israels agreement. Everyone moves on but there is basically still a status quo where nobody appears to have made a major giveaway. If Israel keeps the major blocks,doesn’t agree to swaps,still maintains current security scenario, and keeps more of C than expected then I wager that most Israelis would accept it. the idea may be that over time both sides would get used to it. Everyone bitches and moans but dont shoot the messengers.
He has shown flexibility? Hilarious.
“Abbas exploded with rage over the US secretary’s proposals, and described them as “insanity.””
The only insanity is entertaining any possibility of a real and lasting peace with the Arabs in general and the Fakestinians in particular.
“The PA president threatened to “overturn tables” and to go back on the flexibility he had shown in order to facilitate US-led peace efforts, according to al-Quds.”
“flexibility” – what flexibility? About what exactly has Abbas demonstrated the slightest iota of flexibility?