U.S. frustrated with Netanyahu over stalled proximity talks

[Scurrilous]

Source: Haaretz

<snip>

"U.S. envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell is frustrated by the conduct of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the proximity talks with the Palestinians. Mitchell, who is due in Israel on Thursday for another round of talks in Jerusalem and Ramallah, has expressed to Netanyahu his wish to see more progress by Israel on core issues.

Netanyahu is due to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House in a week.

A senior U.S. administration official told Haaretz Monday that Mitchell is interested in seeing more "seriousness" in talks on the core issues. "We want things to move faster and that there will be more progress on a number of issues," the senior U.S. official said. "To date there has been insufficient progress."

The senior U.S. official also said that the administration would like Netanyahu to show more willingness for substantive discussions on core issues, and to see the Palestinians moving toward direct talks with Israel.

There have been four rounds of proximity talks so far, during which Mitchell shuttled between Ramallah and Jerusalem. During talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Netanyahu, the two informed the U.S. envoy of their positions on the various core issues. However, the Palestinian side has presented far more detailed positions."

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/u-s-frustrated-with-netanyahu-over-stalled-proximity-talks-1.298854

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Israeli FM: No Palestinian state by 2012

<snip>

"Israel's hard-line foreign minister said Tuesday that there was "no chance" a Palestinian state would be established by 2012 — a message that threatened to cloud the latest visit by President Barack Obama's Mideast envoy.

The comments by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman drew swift Palestinian condemnations and could put Israel at odds with the international community, which has set a 2012 target for brokering a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

"As an optimist, I see no chance that a Palestinian state will be established by 2012," Lieberman said at a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. "We can express interest, we can dream, but in reality, we are still far from reaching understandings and agreements on establishing an independent state by 2012."

<snip>

"White House envoy George Mitchell was set to arrive in Israel later Tuesday to mediate a fifth round of indirect talks between the sides. Mitchell is trying to prod Israel and the Palestinians into direct negotiations.

It wasn't clear whether Lieberman was expressing his own opinion or government policy. A spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to comment."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100629/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

[xchrom]

1. Pride goeth before a fall.

That's what Israel is sounding like right now.

[Crowman1979]

2. Gee, if Israel keeps this up. Then we'll have to write them an angry letter!

GASP!!! :crazy:

[Poll_Blind]

3. I thinik the gameplan from the Netanyahu government is just to stall as long...

...as possible. They're hoping they can out-wait Obama and hoping-beyond-hope he'll be a one-term president. I'm not sure either of those things are going to come to pass, but that is one of the many bubbles in which the Netanyahu government live.

PB

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Could be a huge fake-out.

1. U.S. and Israel in collusion to have Israel bomb and destroy several Iranian nuclear fuel plants. U.S. military ready for back-up.

2. To distract, U.S. and Israeli governments agree to promote a false "feud" between them and put out occasional public relations statements reminding that they are distant and not cooperating.

3. There is no plan to advance a two-state, Palestinian state solution.

4. Political sleight of hand. Watch the right hand while the left hand performs the trick.

[EJSTES2005]

5. This is clearly a violation of the LBN rules....

Imagine that. The crazy Netanyahoo and the even crazier A.LieBerman do not want to talk seriously about peace......

[h9socialist]

6. Netanyahu is the biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East

Israel needs to get a new PM -- hopefully from the Labor Party.