by Shlomo Cesana, Daniel Siryoti, Israel Hayom Staff and News Agencies
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris • U.S. State Department: We are narrowing the gaps • Palestinian official: Kerry's proposal is not even a starting point.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (left) meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris on Wednesday
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Photo credit: AP  | ||||
Israeli settlers might not be required to leave their homes as part of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in an interview with Israel's Channel 2 to be aired in full on Thursday.
In preview segments of the interview shown on Wednesday, Kerry said he is "determined" to reach a peace deal.
"People who know me know that when I sink my teeth into something, if I get the bit between my teeth, I try to get it done," Kerry said.
On Wednesday, Kerry met in Paris with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the ongoing peace negotiations.
"We are at an important point in the negotiations where we are engaged with narrowing the gaps between the parties on a framework for negotiations, and it was an appropriate time to spend a few hours meeting with President Abbas to talk about the core issues," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, said on Wednesday that the Palestinians oppose the idea of a framework proposal that allows both sides to express their reservations.
"This framework agreement is not really an agreement," Ashrawi said. "Each side can express their reservations. ... If both sides disagree on the issues presented, that means it is not an agreement."
"Why have [such a deal]? Is it just to maintain a semblance of progress? Is it meant to buy more time? Or is it not to admit we have failed?" Ashrawi said. "President Mahmoud Abbas committed to negotiations ending on April 29. That is the deadline."
Ashrawi told reporters that "if the document is so far as we have seen ... then it is not even a starting point."
Meanwhile, Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett met on Wednesday in Brussels with European Parliament President Martin Schulz. Last week, Bennett and other Habayit Hayehudi ministers and MKs walked out of Schulz's Knesset address after Schulz implied that Israel has a discriminatory water policy toward the Palestinians.
On Wednesday, Bennett told Schulz that the walkout was a "parliamentary move." Bennett expressed appreciation for Schulz's opposition to boycotts of Israel and gave Schulz a gift -- an ancient coin dug up in Jerusalem.
1 comment:
I don't know why it is always Israel that is expected to make concessions.
The palestinians didn't abide by the Oslo agreements, nor any other agreements they have made.
Why should anyone expect them to behave any differently now?
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