Israel and Palestinians reach agreement to resume talks

[Minskaya]

Israel and Palestinians reach agreement to resume talks
July 19, 2013

Israel and the Palestinians have reached an agreement which establishes the basis for resuming peace talks, the US Secretary of State has announced. John Kerry was speaking in Jordan, after meetings with both sides earlier. He gave no details of the agreement, but said initial talks would be held in Washington next week. Mr Kerry told reporters in Amman that the parties had "reached an agreement that establishes a basis for resuming direct final status negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis." "This is a significant and welcome step forward," he said, but stressed that it was still "in the process of being formalised". Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and his Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni will travel to Washington "in the next week or so" to begin initial talks, Mr Kerry said. Hamas has rejected the announcement of a return to talks, according to AFP, saying Mr Abbas had no right to negotiate on behalf of the Palestinian people.

Source: BBC

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[Parihaka]

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Israel allows Palestinian prisoner release
BY:BY OFIRA KOOPMANS From: AAP July 29, 2013 3:32AM

ISRAEL has approved the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners, clearing a hurdle toward a possible resumption of Mideast peace talks.

Israelis and Palestinians are due to restart negotiations in Washington in the coming days, nearly three years after the peace process stalled. Secretary of State John Kerry has been acting as mediator.

Thirteen Israeli cabinet ministers voted on Sunday in favour of the prisoners' release, seven voted against and two abstained.

The cabinet also approved a bill that would make it compulsory to hold a referendum about any peace agreement that would entail giving up territory that falls under Israeli law.

Such legislation would apply to Arab neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem, land near the "green line" that separates Israel from the West Bank, or the Golan Heights.

Any prime minister would be able to give up Arab neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem, land near the "green line" between Israel and the West Bank, or the Golan Heights only with the approval of Israeli citizens.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had asked for the release of all prisoners held since before the 1993 interim Oslo peace accords, if Israel wanted to resume the negotiations.

Palestinian Prisoners Club head Qadura Fares said Abbas had accepted their release in four stages, the first of which will take place six weeks after negotiations resume. There would be six-week intervals between the subsequent stages.

The Prisoners Club published a list with 104 names of Palestinians held since the 1980s and early 1990s.

"If not everyone (is) released, there will be no negotiations," Fares warned.

He said the Palestinian Authority would also not accept the release of prisoners to the Gaza Strip, rather than their homes in the West Bank.

However, Netanyahu said he would head a team of senior ministers which along with the Shin Bet internal security organisation would compose Israel's own list of 104 names.

"We will decide on a list of prisoners who are to be released, after the opening of the negotiations, and in accordance with progress," Netanyahu said.

"This moment isn't easy for me. It isn't easy for the ministers and especially it isn't easy for the bereaved families who are close to my heart.

"But there are moments in which you have to take difficult decisions for the benefit of the state and this is one of those moments."

About 100 people, including relatives of Israelis killed in attacks by Palestinian militants, took part in a demonstration outside Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem.

"No to the release of terrorists" and "no to the release of murderers of children," they chanted.

Almost 5000 Palestinians are currently jailed in Israel for security-related offences. They include 105 long-serving militants who have been in jail since before the 1993 interim Oslo peace accords.

[Minskaya]

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Resumption of Israeli-Palestinian Direct Final Status Negotiations

Press Statement
Jen Psaki
Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
July 28, 2013

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Today, Secretary Kerry spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and personally extended an invitation to send senior negotiating teams to Washington to formally resume direct final status negotiations. Initial meetings are planned for the evening of Monday July 29 and Tuesday July 30, 2013.

The Israelis will be represented by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Yitzhak Molcho, and the Palestinians will be represented by Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat and Mohammad Shtayyeh. As Secretary Kerry announced on July 19 in Amman, Jordan, the Israelis and Palestinians had reached agreement on the basis for resuming direct final status negotiations. The meetings in Washington will mark the beginning of these talks. They will serve as an opportunity to develop a procedural workplan for how the parties can proceed with the negotiations in the coming months.

In his invitation, the Secretary again commended the courage shown by Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas. The Secretary said, “Both leaders have demonstrated a willingness to make difficult decisions that have been instrumental in getting to this point. We are grateful for their leadership.”

The United States and the parties are looking forward to beginning these substantive discussions and in moving forward toward a final status agreement.

United States Department of State

[Minion]

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