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Israel, Palestinians Spar over Quartet Deadline

(Jerusalem Post) Khaled Abu Toameh and Herb Keinon - Israel hopes the Palestinians are not looking for an excuse to leave direct negotiations just two weeks after they began, an Israeli government official said Sunday, after Al-Hayat asserted the Palestinians are considering ending the talks in Jordan. Israeli envoy Yitzhak Molcho and chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat met Saturday night at the headquarters of the Jordanian General Intelligence Department in Amman for the third round of Jordanian-sponsored talks since Jan. 3. The Palestinians say Jan. 26 is a deadline imposed by the Quartet on the two sides last September to present comprehensive proposals on border and security issues. Israel maintains Jan. 26 is not a deadline, and the Quartet said the two sides needed to present their proposals 90 days after direct talks began. "It is not logical to think that we could solve all these issues and present proposals 21 days after the talks began," one Israeli government official said. The official said Israel was more than willing to present its proposals after 90 days. A PA official in Ramallah said the U.S. and some EU governments were putting pressure on PA President Abbas to continue the talks after Jan. 26. He said they have told Abbas the Quartet deadline clock started only when the Israelis and Palestinians began their talks in Amman two weeks ago.
2012-01-16 00:00:00
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