hollywoodtone.blogspot.com John Kerry fails to make breakthrough in Israel Palestine talks
hollywoodtone.blogspot.com John Kerry fails to make breakthrough in Israel Palestine talks
Jerusalem - After four days of intense diplomacy in an attempt to move the Israel Palestine peace talks forward US Secretary of State left for home on Monday (January 6).
This will be Kerry's tenth visit to the area since becoming Secretary of State. He had separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then with Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas, that rules the Gaza Strip, is not involved. Kerry had hoped that his diplomatic push would achieve a framework to guide the talks forward. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu complained that the Palestinians continued a campaign of "inciting hatred". The Palestinians insisted they opposed any stationing of Israeli troops alone in the Jordan Valley something on which the Israelis insist. Israeli intelligence minister Yuval Steinitz insists that Israel will not accept proposals made by the US about security concessions for the Jordan valley but wants its own troops there. The US had suggested a mixed Palestinian-Israeli force to provide security. Neither Kerry, nor either side has given much information about the contents of the talks except for a few issues such as the Jordan Valley security disagreement, Both Israeli and Palestinian officials said there was little chance of a breakthrough. Abbas insists that Netanyahu must freeze the expansion of settlements and recognize West Bank Boundaries before new talks but Abbas already entered talks knowing that the settlements would increase. He in effect has bargained for the release of some Palestinian prisoners in return for entering negotiations without a freeze. Israel refuses to accept any preconditions for talks. Kerry apparently held a marathon meeting with Netanyahu that ended only at 4 AM on Sunday morning. Little of the specific content of the discussions was made public. A State Department official said: "They discussed a wide range of issues related to the peace process, building on their earlier conversations this week," Direct negotiations had broken off between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in 2010 over the issue of Israel building settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In spite of the lack of any breakthrough, Kerry remained optimistic about the progress of the talks:
“We have made real progress on this trip. And I believe that with a little more work the start of final status negotiations could be within reach".Kerry says he was impressed with the seriousness of the parties, that some details still needed to be worked out, but that they were on the right track. However, Saeb Erakat the Palestinian chief negotiator speaking in Ramallah after Kerry had met with Abbas claimed there had been "no breakthrough":
"It was a positive and profound meeting with president Abbas but there has been no breakthrough so far and there is still a gap between the Palestinian and Israeli positions".Erekat also pointed out that Israeli Army Radio announced that there would be a big discount for buyers of almost 1,000 homes in East Jersualem that Israel considers simply part of Israel as it annexed the territory. However, the international community does not recognize that status. Just before Kerry arrived a local committee approved the building of another 70 homes in the same area. Netanyahu claimed:
"We are not putting up any impediments on the resumption of the permanent talks for a peace agreement between us and the Palestinians.There are things that we will strongly insist on in the talks themselves, especially security ... there will be no agreement that will endanger Israelis' security."Netanyahu also promised that he would put any agreement reached to a referendum.
hollywoodtone.blogspot.com John Kerry fails to make breakthrough in Israel Palestine talks