Palestinians Call Kerry’s Formula for Talks Insufficient
By KHALED ABU AKER and JODI RUDOREN, NYT
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian political leadership did not approve Secretary of State John Kerry’s plan for returning to peace talks with Israel as expected Thursday afternoon, dulling mounting hopes that Washington’s intense diplomatic push might soon yield a breakthrough.
Emerging from a two-hour meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, several of the leaders said the formula Mr. Kerry had proposed was insufficient because it did not require a freeze of Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank or insist that new negotiations be based on Israel’s 1967 borders with minor adjustments. The group formed a committee to review the plan in more detail on Thursday night and make recommendations to the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization on Friday.
“We are not in a rush in taking decisions,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the executive committee. “We are trying to behave in responsibility and wisdom. We are not under pressure.”
The leadership meeting came a day after a strong statement from Arab League foreign ministers offering “full support” to Mr. Kerry’s efforts and saying his ideas “lay the proper foundation” for “serious negotiations to address all final-status issues.”
(More here.)
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian political leadership did not approve Secretary of State John Kerry’s plan for returning to peace talks with Israel as expected Thursday afternoon, dulling mounting hopes that Washington’s intense diplomatic push might soon yield a breakthrough.
Emerging from a two-hour meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, several of the leaders said the formula Mr. Kerry had proposed was insufficient because it did not require a freeze of Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank or insist that new negotiations be based on Israel’s 1967 borders with minor adjustments. The group formed a committee to review the plan in more detail on Thursday night and make recommendations to the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization on Friday.
“We are not in a rush in taking decisions,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the executive committee. “We are trying to behave in responsibility and wisdom. We are not under pressure.”
The leadership meeting came a day after a strong statement from Arab League foreign ministers offering “full support” to Mr. Kerry’s efforts and saying his ideas “lay the proper foundation” for “serious negotiations to address all final-status issues.”
(More here.)
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