19/02/2014
Livni expresses framework plan hopes, Kerry to meet Abbas today
Israel’s Justice Minister and lead peace negotiator Tzipi Livni, yesterday said that she hopes both sides will be able to live with US Secretary of State John Kerry’s long-awaited framework plan.
Kerry brokered the resumption of peace talks in July and has visited the region regularly to try and advance the negotiation process. At a conference of American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem yesterday, Livni praised Kerry’s efforts, calling them a “game changer.” Kerry is expected to present Israelis and Palestinians with a proposed framework plan for final status talks within the coming weeks. There has been much speculation over the details of the plan. Livni said “Frankly I don’t think that we are going to be in love with this paper, but I hope that we can live with this paper, and I’m sure this also applies to the Palestinian side.”
She also commented that, “Isolated settlements are not part of Israeli security concerns,” distinguishing them from major settlement blocs. Livni explained that “they [isolated settlements] are only there to hurt the country and to prevent us from settling upon an agreement.”
Livni added that in order for a peace agreement to be reached, “The Palestinians also need to make decisions.” Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas opposes recognising Israel as a Jewish state, a key demand by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who views it as the foundation of a two-state solution. On Sunday, Abbas commented on another core issue, suggesting that a Palestinian municipality work alongside an Israeli municipality in Jerusalem. However, he insisted that the PA would not share sovereignty over the city’s Temple Mount, a holy site for Jews and Muslims.
Abbas is set to meet Kerry today in Paris. US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that they would “discuss the ongoing negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis.” The details of Kerry’s framework plan are likely to be high on the agenda. Meanwhile, Netanyahu will visit the White House next month.
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