The Obama administration is working hard to get the Middle East peace talks back on track, announcing $150 million in additional aid to the Palestinians, continuing to criticize Israel for new construction plans in east Jerusalem, and sending John Kerry for his own round of talks, from which he emerged with encouraging news. The New York Times:
Speaking from Tel Aviv, Senator Kerry said that, based on his discussions, he believed the United States could devise a formula that would persuade the Palestinians to return to negotiations even without an extension of the freeze on settlement construction, which the Palestinians have demanded.
At the same time, he said he did not rule out the possibility that Mr. Netanyahu would extend the freeze for a brief period, despite being constrained by a right-wing coalition that opposes any further halts to building.
“Is it difficult? Yeah,” Senator Kerry said in a telephone interview. “Is it a moment of disagreement? Yes. But it doesn’t have to be a showstopper by any means."
No comments:
Post a Comment