President Obama held bilateral talks Wednesday with four leaders from the Middle East in Washington, in an attempt to build trust before direct peace talks between Israel and Palestine resume Thursday after nearly a two-year stalemate.
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak all met with Obama individually.
The aim of the newest round of talks is to reach a long-lasting peace with a Palestinian state living next to a secure Israel. Obama spoke to the press on Wednesday afternoon addressing the ‘”senseless slaughter” of the previous day when four Israeli settlers were shot dead on the street in the West Bank by “terrorists who are purposely trying to undermine these talks.”
“There are going to be extremists and rejectionists who, rather than seeking peace, are going to be seeking destruction,” he said. But “this is not going to stop us.”
Both Netanyahu and Abbas also condemned the attack by a fraction of Hamas. Palestinian authorities had arrested 300 people suspected of having ties with Hamas by Tuesday night. On the White House blog Obama urged Netanyahu and Abbas “to recognize this as a moment of opportunity that must be seized.”
“You are my partner in the peace. It is up to us to live next to and with each other.” This is what Netanyahu will say to Abbas in his speech during a dinner in the White House. The Israeli PM’s office released the text ahead of time.
Netanyahu will stress the long-term peace between Israel and Palestine. It was hoped that the dinner with all leaders on Wednesday night would build a positive atmosphere before the formal relaunch of direct negotiations.
Despite strong differences concerning the temporary halt to building settlements in the West Bank, Prem Kumar, American National Security Council director for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs stated they “believe the Israelis and Palestinians can reach an agreement within one year.”
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak all met with Obama individually.
The aim of the newest round of talks is to reach a long-lasting peace with a Palestinian state living next to a secure Israel. Obama spoke to the press on Wednesday afternoon addressing the ‘”senseless slaughter” of the previous day when four Israeli settlers were shot dead on the street in the West Bank by “terrorists who are purposely trying to undermine these talks.”
“There are going to be extremists and rejectionists who, rather than seeking peace, are going to be seeking destruction,” he said. But “this is not going to stop us.”
Both Netanyahu and Abbas also condemned the attack by a fraction of Hamas. Palestinian authorities had arrested 300 people suspected of having ties with Hamas by Tuesday night. On the White House blog Obama urged Netanyahu and Abbas “to recognize this as a moment of opportunity that must be seized.”
“You are my partner in the peace. It is up to us to live next to and with each other.” This is what Netanyahu will say to Abbas in his speech during a dinner in the White House. The Israeli PM’s office released the text ahead of time.
Netanyahu will stress the long-term peace between Israel and Palestine. It was hoped that the dinner with all leaders on Wednesday night would build a positive atmosphere before the formal relaunch of direct negotiations.
Despite strong differences concerning the temporary halt to building settlements in the West Bank, Prem Kumar, American National Security Council director for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs stated they “believe the Israelis and Palestinians can reach an agreement within one year.”
