Ponce
5th May 2010, 09:55 AM
Barack Obama restates US duty to Israel
John Lyons, Middle East correspondent From: The Australian May 05, 2010
US President Barack Obama has restated his commitment to Israel's security on the eve of the resumption of Middle East peace talks.
In a sign of easing tensions, Mr Obama telephoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assure him that Washington had an "unshakeable" commitment to the security of Israel as it enters the first peace negotiations with Palestinians for more than a year.
An Israeli minister said the opportunity being presented by the "proximity talks" to begin today should not be missed.
Israel's Minister for Industry, Trade and Labour, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, said: "A historic opportunity has opened up, which people will cry about for generations if it's missed."
The US decided on proximity talks when it was clear direct talks were not possible - the Palestinian Authority had insisted on a freeze on new building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem before direct talks.
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While Israel has imposed a 10-month freeze on building in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, it was not prepared to halt building in East Jerusalem, which it says is not a settlement.
It appears the Netanyahu government has quietly agreed to slow building in East Jerusalem to enable talks to resume, but does not want to announce this because of the political backlash that might ensue.
Under proximity talks, US envoy George Mitchell will hold discussions in Jerusalem with Israeli negotiators then shuttle to Ramallah to relay Israel's positions to Palestinian negotiators.
In a separate development, the White House has invited Eli Yishai, the leader of the ultra-orthodox party Shas, for a visit.
Mr Yishai, the Minister of the Interior, is a strong supporter of settlements and it was his department that announced a major new development in East Jerusalem during the recent visit of US Vice-President Joe Biden.
The Jerusalem Post reported yesterday that Israel had agreed to place all core issues on the table during proximity talks but said they can be resolved only through direct negotiations.
John Lyons, Middle East correspondent From: The Australian May 05, 2010
US President Barack Obama has restated his commitment to Israel's security on the eve of the resumption of Middle East peace talks.
In a sign of easing tensions, Mr Obama telephoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assure him that Washington had an "unshakeable" commitment to the security of Israel as it enters the first peace negotiations with Palestinians for more than a year.
An Israeli minister said the opportunity being presented by the "proximity talks" to begin today should not be missed.
Israel's Minister for Industry, Trade and Labour, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, said: "A historic opportunity has opened up, which people will cry about for generations if it's missed."
The US decided on proximity talks when it was clear direct talks were not possible - the Palestinian Authority had insisted on a freeze on new building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem before direct talks.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
While Israel has imposed a 10-month freeze on building in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, it was not prepared to halt building in East Jerusalem, which it says is not a settlement.
It appears the Netanyahu government has quietly agreed to slow building in East Jerusalem to enable talks to resume, but does not want to announce this because of the political backlash that might ensue.
Under proximity talks, US envoy George Mitchell will hold discussions in Jerusalem with Israeli negotiators then shuttle to Ramallah to relay Israel's positions to Palestinian negotiators.
In a separate development, the White House has invited Eli Yishai, the leader of the ultra-orthodox party Shas, for a visit.
Mr Yishai, the Minister of the Interior, is a strong supporter of settlements and it was his department that announced a major new development in East Jerusalem during the recent visit of US Vice-President Joe Biden.
The Jerusalem Post reported yesterday that Israel had agreed to place all core issues on the table during proximity talks but said they can be resolved only through direct negotiations.