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U.S., Israel Discuss Framework for Renewed Peace Process

[Ha'aretz] Barak Ravid - Prime Minister Netanyahu and U.S. Middle East envoy Mitchell will meet again Friday to try to arrive at a formula which would enable a trilateral summit next week of the U.S., PA, and Israel on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. The Americans continue to demand that Israel freeze construction in the settlements for a year, while Netanyahu has only agreed to six months. The Palestinians refuse to attend a summit without such a freeze. Israel opposes any future statement by President Obama that the border between Israel and the Palestinian state will be based upon the 1967 borders, with adjustments. Netanyahu is demanding an American commitment to defensible borders for Israel. Netanyahu is also demanding that the framework for negotiations be consistent with his speech at Bar-Ilan University in which he spoke of a demilitarized Palestinian state; a Palestinian declaration acknowledging Israel as the state of the Jewish nation; and an understanding that any agreement would bring an end to the conflict. Israel also objects to setting a two-year time frame for a final-status agreement.
2009-09-17 08:00:00
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