Arab League Rejects President Trump's Israeli-Palestinian Peace Plan

Axios: Arab League foreign ministers reject Trump peace plan

The foreign ministers of the member state of the Arab League unanimously adopted a resolution on Saturday rejecting the Trump Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, and said that "it does not satisfy the minimum of the rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people."

Why it matters: The Trump administration was counting on a coalition of Arab countries it has built over the last several years to prevent such a resolution and press the Palestinians to go back to the table. Those efforts did not materialize.

Read more ....

More News On The Arab League Rejecting President Trump's Israeli-Palestinian Peace Plan

Arab League rejects Trump's Israeli-Palestinian peace plan -- DW
Arab League rejects Donald Trump’s Middle East plan, calls it ‘unfair’ to Palestinians -- SCMP/AFP
Arab League rejects Trump's Middle East plan -- Al Jazeera
Arab League holds emergency meeting over Trump's Middle East plan -- ABC News Online
Arab League rejects Trump’s ‘deal of the century’ at Cairo summit with Abbas -- RT

President Trump Unveils His Middle East Peace Plan

Daily Mail: Donald Trump unveils his 'vision' for 'two-state solution' to bring peace to the Middle East - with a TUNNEL linking the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

* Donald Trump unveils Middle East peace 'vision' in the East Room of the White House , standing beside Benjamin Netanyahu
* White House pointedly avoids using the word 'plan' in describing what was unveiled in formal statement - but Trump tweets the word 'plan' anyway
* Trump's outline would offer a two-state solution with a defined map of Israel and Palestine and a freeze on new Israeli settlements
* It would join the Gaza Strip to the West bank by a tunnel making the two Palestinian territories contiguous
* But it would also require the Palestinians to reduce their territorial claims - something they have already said they will not do
* No Palestinians were present at the unveiling of the 'vision,' nor any Congressional Democrats, nor Netanyahu's political rival Benny Gantz
* Critics say the scheme is an attempt to boost Netanyahu's election chances; hours earlier he gave up seeking immunity from corruption charges

Donald Trump unveiled his long-awaited Middle East peace 'vision' Tuesday afternoon with embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side - saying there would be a 'two-state solution' with a tunnel linking the West Bank to the Gaza Strip.

'My vision provides a win win solution for both sides,' the president said to great applause from the pro-Israel audience at the White House.

Trump said it was a 'vision for peace, prosperity and a new future' for both Israel and Palestine as he spoke in the East Room of the White House, reading from a teleprompter and declining to take questions.

Read more ....

More News On President Trump Unveiling His Middle East Peace Plan

Live: Trump reveals US Middle East peace plan as 'last opportunity' for Palestinians -- France 24
Trump unveils Middle East plan: All the latest updates -- Al Jazeera
Trump peace plan delights Israelis, enrages Palestinians -- AP
Trump leaps into Middle East fray with plan that favors Israel and angers Palestinians -- Reuters
Trump unveils 'realistic two-state solution' for Middle East peace -- The Guardian
Trump unveils Mideast plan, 'last opportunity' for Palestinians -- AFP
Netanyahu says peace plan would be base for negotiations: Trump -- Reuters
Trump releases long-awaited Middle-East peace plan -- The Hill
Trump offers two-state peace plan for Israeli-Palestinian conflict amid skepticism -- The Hill
Trump reveals Israel-Palestine peace plan -- DW
Trump unveils his Middle East plan amid Palestinian rejections -- Al Jazeera
Trump proposes a two-state solution for Israel-Palestine in ‘win-win opportunity’ for both sides -- RT
Trump plan will 'finish off Palestinian cause', PM warns -- Al Jazeera
This is what Donald Trump's Middle East plan looks like -- Al Jazeera
Jordan says two-state solution only path to Mideast peace -- Reuters
'Slap of the century': Palestinians reject Trump Mideast plan -- Reuters
U.S. Middle East peace plan prompts some praise, much Arab anger -- Reuters
Trump's Middle East plan would steal Palestinian land: Turkey -- Reuters
Trump's Middle East peace plan: High stakes and low chances -- Jeremy Bowen, BBC
Explainer: What's in Trump's Middle East peace plan -- Stephen Farrell, Reuters

White House Denying Reports That They Offered The Palestinian Authority $5 Billion In Economic Aid To Return To The Peace Talks

Trump and Abbas. (photo credit: REUTERS)

Newsweek: Donald Trump Offers Palestinians $5 Billion in Aid to Negotiate With Israel, Report Reveals

President Donald Trump’s administration offered the Palestinians $5 billion in aid if they negotiate with Israel, according to a report by the Israeli business paper Globes.

The offer was an attempt by the president’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner and his special envoy Jason Greenblatt to bring Palestinians back to the negotiating table, according to the report. The two men are in charge of coming up with a Middle East peace plan that would find a solution to the longstanding dispute between Israelis and Palestinians.

Greenblatt, however, denied the claim. "Myth: Globes ‘reporting’ that POTUS is offering $5b to [Palestine] to return to the negotiating table," he tweeted.

Read more ....

Update: White House denies report Trump offered Abbas $5 bil. to enter peace talks (Jerusalem Post)

WNU Editor: The White House is denying these reports. What's my take? The Palestinians do not want money. They wast a state, preferable where Israel is today.

President Trump Asked Israeli PM Netanyahu If He Genuinely Cares About Peace

President Trump and Israeli PM Netanyahu

Axios: Trump asked Netanyahu if he genuinely cares about peace

In a phone call last year with Bibi Netanyahu, President Trump said something that shocked some of the people who helped prepare his briefing materials for the conversations. According to three sources familiar with the call, Trump asked Bibi bluntly if he actually cares about peace or not.

The details: Trump was pressing Bibi on the importance of striking a "deal" for Mideast peace. He'd read news reports about Bibi planning to build additional settlements to please his conservative base in Israel. Trump thought Bibi was unnecessarily angering the Palestinians. So, in the course of a longer conversation that was mostly friendly and complimentary, he bluntly asked Bibi whether or not he genuinely wants peace.

Read more ....

More News On President Trump Asking Israeli PM Netanyahu If He Genuinely Cares About Peace

Trump asked Bibi Netanyahu if he REALLY wants peace in the Middle East -- Daily Mail
Trump reportedly bluntly asked Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu if he really wants peace or not -- Business Insider
Trump asked Netanyahu if he actually cares about peace: report -- The Hill
Trump Asks Netanyahu if He Really Wants Peace With Palestinians -- Algemeiner
Trump Asked Netanyahu if He 'Really Cares About Peace,' Report Says -- Haaretz
Trump Bluntly Questions Netanyahu's Interest in Peace in Region – Report -- Sputnik

Reports: Palestinian President Abbas Is Prepared To Sign A Peace Deal With Israel

Donald Trump welcomes Mahmoud Abbas to White House in Washington , May 3, 2017. (photo credit:REUTERS)

Jerusalem Post: ‘Abbas has decided to sign peace deal with Israel’

Trump planning to launch new round of talks during his upcoming visit.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has crossed the Rubicon and voiced “unprecedented” readiness to reach a peace deal with Israel, sources close to the efforts to renew talks between Israel and the Palestinians have told The Jerusalem Post.

Abbas, according to the sources, made this clear to President Donald Trump during their meeting at the White House last week. The president plans to use his trip to Israel later this month to receive assurances from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he, too, is committed to a peace agreement.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I have to see it to believe it.

Report: Israel Rejected Last Year A Secret Regional Peace Plan Offered By The U.S., Jordan, And Egypt

Sisi, Netanyahu, Kerry and Abdullah. (photo credit:REUTERS)

Reuters: A year ago, Israel, Jordan and Egypt secretly met for peace - report

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met secretly a year ago with the leaders of Egypt and Jordan in a failed attempt by the Obama administration to convene a wider regional summit on Israeli-Palestinian peace, Israel's Haaretz daily said on Sunday.

At the White House on Wednesday, Netanyahu again raised the possibility of what he described as a "regional approach" to Israeli-Palestinian peace at a news conference with U.S. President Donald Trump, who appeared to embrace the idea.

Citing unidentified senior officials in former U.S. President Barack Obama's administration, Haaretz said Netanyahu, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Jordan's King Abdullah and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry convened on Feb. 21, 2016 in the Jordanian Red Sea resort of Aqaba.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: After one year .... why is this being leaked now .... and who leaked it?

More News On Reports That Last Year Israel Rejected A Secret Regional Peace Plan Offered By The U.S., Jordan, And Egypt

Kerry Offered Netanyahu Regional Peace Plan in Secret 2016 Summit With al-Sissi, King Abdullah -- Haaretz
Report: Israeli leader turned down regional peace initiative -- AP
Netanyahu, Kerry held 'secret Arab peace meeting' -- AFP
Report: Netanyahu rejected peace plan proposed by Kerry at secret 2016 meeting -- Jerusalem Post
Netanyahu said to have rejected regional peace plan last year -- The Times of Israel

A Look At What Are The Alternatives To A Two-State-Solution Between Israel And The Palestinians

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Colin Shindler, BBC: Israel and the Palestinians: What are alternatives to a two-state solution?

When President Donald Trump commented "two states and one state - I like the one that both parties like" about an eventual Israeli-Palestinian settlement, it suggested a rethink, and perhaps a downgrading, of the time-honoured "two-state solution" of past US administrations.

But what are the other options?

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The problem is that there are no good alternatives.

Diplomats Gather In Paris For Israel-Palestinian Peace Talks

DW: Diplomats flock to Paris for summit on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Envoys from over 70 countries, including the US, have gathered in Paris to discuss the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel's Netanyahu has slammed the meet as "rigged" against his country.

The diplomats are expected to urge the creation of a Palestinian state at the Sunday peace conference.

"A two-state solution is the only possible one," French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said while opening the meet, calling it "more indispensable than ever" to solve the decades-long dispute.

"Both parties are very far apart and their relationship is one of distrust - a particularly dangerous situation," Ayrault added. "Our collective responsibility is to bring Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table."

A draft declaration seen by the DPA news agency also calls for "two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: How can you have peace talks when the principles are not even there .... Missing at Israel-Palestinian Peace Conference: Israelis or Palestinians (NYT). This summit also appears to be more focused on what President-elect Trump will do and not on the peace talks .... At Paris meeting, major powers to warn Trump over Middle East peace (Reuters).

More News On The Israel-Palestine Paris Summit

Dozens Of Diplomats Gather In Paris For Israel-Palestinian Peace Talks -- NPR
Paris Holds Talks on Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process -- WSJ
France describes need for two-state solution at Israel, Palestinian conference -- UPI
Hollande Tells Mideast Conference Two-State Solution Threatened -- Bloomberg
Paris conference to send Trump a warning over Israel and Palestinians -- The Guardian
Netanyahu: Paris peace conference is 'useless' -- CNN
Paris is hosting Mideast peace talks without Israelis, Palestinians, or the Trump team -- The Week

U.S. Secretary Of State Kerry: ' Israel's Settlement Program Endangers The Peace Process'

Reuters: Kerry says settlements endanger peace, Israel hits back

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned on Wednesday that Israel's building of settlements was endangering Middle East peace, expressing unusually frank frustration with the long-time American ally.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shot back at Kerry and accused him of showing bias against the Jewish state.

In a 70-minute speech just weeks before the Obama administration hands over to President-elect Donald Trump, Kerry said Israel "will never have true peace" with the Arab world if it does not reach an accord based on Israelis and Palestinians living in their own states.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Why the John Kerry speech now .... just weeks away from leaving office .... and with major diplomatic moves now underway over Syria but with no U.S. participation. Your explanation is probably just as good as mine. On a side note .... Russia is not buying John Kerry's plan .... Russia Rejects Kerry’s Proposal for Quartet to Adopt U.S. Principles on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Haaretz). It is also safe to say that relations between the current Israeli government and the outgoing Obama administration are now utterly "kaput".

More News On U.S. Secretary Of State Kerry's Speech On The 'Two State Solution

Kerry harshly condemns Israeli settler activity as an obstacle to peace -- Washington Post
John Kerry warns Israel over peace deal with Palestinians -- BBC
Settlement program threatens Israel's future: Kerry -- AFP
Secretary of State John Kerry: Two-state solution in 'serious jeopardy' -- CNN
Two-state Israel-Palestine 'peace solution in jeopardy' -- Al Jazeera
Kerry Calls Netanyahu’s Settlements Stance a Threat to Peace -- Bloomberg
Kerry: Israeli-Palestinian two state solution 'now in jeopardy' -- DW
2-state solution 'only way' for lasting peace between Israelis, Palestinians - Kerry -- RT
Kerry to Israel: We support you but can't defend ‘right-wing’ agenda -- Politico

U.S. Secretary Of State Kerry Defends The U.S. Decision To Not Veto A UN Resolution On Israeli Settlements

Pushing back on Israel, Kerry defends Obama's UN vote -- AP
Kerry defends US decision not to veto UN resolution against Israeli settlements -- The Guardian
Kerry: U.S. abstained on U.N. vote to save two-state solution in Mideast -- USA Today
Kerry Slams Netanyahu, Defends US Abstention in UN on Israeli Settlements -- Sputnik

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Reacts To U.S. Secretary Of State Kerry's Speech

Kerry's speech biased against Israel: Netanyahu -- Reuters
Kerry speech 'skewed against Israel': Netanyahu -- AFP
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Slams Obama's Middle East Policy -- Sputnik
Netanyahu: Kerry’s Middle East Policy Speech A ‘Great Disappointment' -- CBS
Netanyahu slams Kerry's speech defending UN vote as 'unbalanced' -- FOX News
Netanyahu: Kerry’s speech undermines Israel -- The Hill
Netanyahu: Kerry obsessed with settlements, ignores 'root of conflict' -- Jerusalem Post
Israel Cabinet minister calls Kerry speech 'pathetic' -- AP
Netanyahu: Kerry's speech 'biased' against Israel, obsessive about settlements (VIDEO) -- RT
Kerry’s Mid-East speech will ‘ensure chaos lasts after Obama admin’ – Israeli minister -- RT
White House races to save Middle East peace process before Trump takes office -- The Guardian

Update: President-elect Trump responds ....

We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but.......

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2016

not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (U.N.)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2016

Trump urges Israel to stay strong and wait for his inauguration (TASS)
Donald Trump urges Israel to 'stay strong' until he takes office; weighs in on UN Israeli settlement vote (ABC News Online)
Trump: ‘Stay strong Israel,’ my inauguration is approaching (The Hill)
Donald Trump Says Obama Administration Treating Israel With ‘Disdain’ (WSJ)

Russian Foreign Office: Israeli And Palestinian Leaders Have Agreed To Meet For Talks In Moscow

The Independent: Russia: Israeli and Palestinian leaders have agreed to meet for talks in Moscow

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed to meet on an unspecified date

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed in principle to meet in Moscow, in what would be their first face-to-face meeting in years.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed that an agreement had taken place on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

No date has been given for the meeting. “The most important thing is to pick the right timing,” Ms Zakharova added.

Read more ....

More News On Russian Reports That Israeli And Palestinian Leaders Have Agreed To Meet For Talks In Moscow

Israeli and Palestinian leaders agree to meet for talks in Moscow -- FOX News/AP
Russia says Palestinian, Israeli leaders agree to meet -- Al Jazeera
Russia says Abbas, Netanyahu to meet in Moscow -- USA Today
Russia: Netanyahu and Abbas Agree to Meet, but No Date Set -- Haaretz
Report: Israelis and Palestinians agree to meet in principle Moscow -- Ynetnews

Israeli - Palestinian Peace Talks In Moscow?

© AFP 2016/ Charles Dharapak

Reuters: Netanyahu considering offer of talks with Palestinian president in Moscow

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering an offer by Russian President Vladimir Putin to host talks in Moscow between the Israeli leader and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Netanyahu's office said on Monday.

It said in a statement Netanyahu, at a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, "presented Israel's position whereby he is always ready to meet (Abbas) without preconditions and is therefore considering the Russian president's proposal and the timing for a possible meeting".

A spokesman for Abbas, who is on a visit to Europe, declined immediate comment.

Read more ....

Update #1: Israeli PM Netanyahu considering Putin’s offer to host Palestine talks in Moscow - statement -- RT
Update #2: Putin envoy talks to Netanyahu about possible summit with Abbas in Moscow -- Jerusalem Post

WNU Editor: There are contradictory messages coming from the Palestinian camp .... PA officials deny report Abbas willing to meet Netanyahu in Moscow (The Times of Israel) .... and this .... Mahmoud Abbas agrees to talk with Netanyahu in Moscow (Ynetnews). What's my prediction .... Russia is now a major player in the Middle East and because the Russians want this to happen  .... this meeting/summit is going to happen. As for any U.S. participation .... it appears that no one wants them at the table.

Russian President Putin Offers To Host Middle East Peace Talks

A peace summit would boost Putin’s image as a growing force in the Middle East at the expense of US influence.

The Australian/The Times: Russia’s Vladimir Putin offers to host Middle East peace talks

President Vladimir Putin is pushing to host peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians in the latest sign of his ambition for Russia to replace the US as chief powerbroker in the Middle East.

Mr Putin made his overture to President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, who said that it would involve a meeting at the Kremlin between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ­Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas.

“Putin has told me that he is ready to receive Abbas and ­Netanyahu in Moscow to carry out direct talks to find a solution,” Mr Sisi told the state-owned newspaper Al Ahram.

Read more ....

Update #1: Vladimir Putin offers Middle East peace talks for Israel, Palestinians -- UPI
Update #2: Netanyahu phones Putin to talk Middle East peace -- The Times of Israel

WNU Editor: I had a heads up that this was going to happen when I read this .... Putin wants to be Middle East peacemaker, Egypt's Sisi says (Middle East Monitor). Will these talks produce results that push the peace process forward .... I have my doubts .... but someone has to step up to push it.

Expections Are Low For Tomorrow's International Conference On Restarting The Israeli - Palestinian Peace Process

Reuters: U.S. not bringing specific proposals to Middle East peace talks in Paris

The United States will not bring any specific proposals at a Paris conference meant to set out a framework for fresh negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians nor has it decided what, if any role, it may play in the French effort, a senior State Department official said on Thursday.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is attending the French conference on Friday, which is set to include the Middle East Quartet – the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations – the Arab League, the U.N. Security Council and about 20 countries, without Israeli or Palestinian participation.

U.S. efforts to broker a two-state deal collapsed in April 2014, and Kerry has said any peace effort would require compromise from both sides.

Read more ....

More News On Friday's International Conference Setting Out A Framework For Fresh Negotiations Between Israel And The Palestinians

France to host talks on Israel-Palestinian peace bid -- Expatica
Paris peace confab set to end with call for ‘clear timetable’ for talks -- Times of Israel
French Peace Plan Seeks Rigid Deadlines for Every Stage of Israeli-Palestinian Talks -- Haaretz
Total of 28 Delegations Confirm Paris Middle East Conference Attendance -- Sputnik
Netanyahu steps up opposition to French-led Mideast peace initiative -- France 24
Israeli authorities hold secret meetings with US in advance of Friday’s peace talks -- IMEC News

France To Pursue A Middle East Conference On The Israeli - Palestinian Conflict Despite Israel's Objections

Washington Post: Israel tells France it’s not interested in multilateral peace talks

JERUSALEM — French officials said Sunday that they will continue to press ahead with plans to host a multilateral Middle East peace conference later this year, despite hearing, in blunt language, that Israel doesn’t really like the idea.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to promote what diplomats are calling the “French Initiative,” a still evolving and admittedly vague diplomatic project that seeks to bring global attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and find consensus among the international community on how to move forward with a two-state solution.

The French are planning to host about 30 foreign ministers — from Europe and the Middle East as well as Russia, China and India — at a preparatory meeting at the end of this month, which could lead to a peace conference later this year.

Neither Israel nor the Palestinians, who support the French Initiative, will attend the May meeting in Paris.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The French response to Israel's criticism .... French FM brushes off Israel's opposition to 'peace' initiative (Arutz Sheva).

More News On Israel Tells France That They Are Not Interested In Their Proposed Multilateral Peace Talks

Netanyahu tells France's Ayrault he still opposes peace conference -- Reuters
Paris Peace Summit to Proceed Despite Israeli Concerns -- AP
Israel Does Not Support Palestine Peace Talks, Netanyahu Tells French Foreign Minister -- IBTimes
Netanyahu, French foreign minister fail to see eye-to-eye -- Ynet news
Netanyahu says Israel still opposed to peace conference -- Irish Times
Israel's Netanyahu says still opposed to French-led peace talks -- DW
Israel shuns French initiative after UNESCO vote -- AFP
Netanyahu questions French impartiality after Unesco vote -- News 24
Netanyahu slams France after UN vote on al-Aqsa mosque -- Al Jazeera

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Gives Up On Peace

NYT: Mahmoud Abbas, at U.N., Says Palestinians Are No Longer Bound by Oslo Accords

UNITED NATIONS — Demonstrating a new level of tension with Israel, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority declared on Wednesday that his people were no longer bound by mutual agreements with Israel, including the Oslo Peace Accords, which created the foundation for the Middle East peace process.

In his annual General Assembly speech, Mr. Abbas accused Israel of having systematically violated these pacts, which date back two decades and outline security, economic and other arrangements in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel during and after the 1967 war.

The agreements formed the basis for governing much of daily life in the occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority is based.

WNU Editor: The Israeli - Palestinian process has been dead for a long time .... this is the final nail in the coffin. But what I find interesting about this news story is that a few years ago it would be the number one news story in the world .... today .... it is ignored by most.

More News On Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Giving Up On The Peace Process

Palestinian leader disavows agreements signed with Israel -- Washington Post
Israel undermines U.S. peace effort, Palestinian Abbas tells U.N. -- Reuters
Mahmoud Abbas: Palestinians 'cannot continue to be bound' by Oslo Accords -- CNN

President Obama Does Not Believe That A Israeli-Palestinian Peace Deal Will Happen Under His Watch

U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington June 1, 2015. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

CNN: Obama says Israeli-Palestinian peace deal unlikely under his watch

Washington (CNN)President Barack Obama acknowledged in an interview Tuesday that the potential for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal during his remaining time in office was slim.

"I don't see a likelihood of a framework agreement" in the next 18 months, Obama told Israel's Channel 2.

Obama had been asked about the prospects for a peace arrangement under the current Israeli and Palestinian leadership. During the recent Israeli election campaign, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out a Palestinian state during his tenure, a position that the White House claimed broke years of prior policy.

WNU Editor: He has to blame Israeli PM Netanyahu .... Obama: Netanyahu's Palestine stance erodes Israel's credibility (Reuters)

Why The Mideast Talks Ended In Disarray

Israeli, Palestinian delegations meet in Washington for iftar dinner, July 29, 2013. Photo: REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Arc Of A Failed Deal: How Nine Months Of Mideast Talks Ended In Disarray -- Jodi Rudoren and Isabel Kershner, New York Times

JERUSALEM — There were late-night video conferences with Secretary of State John Kerry, including one from beneath mosquito netting in an Indonesian hotel. Mr. Kerry met a total of 34 times with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, and about twice that with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.

Israeli and Palestinian representatives were summoned for talks in Amman, Jordan; Davos, Switzerland; London; Munich; Paris; Rome; and Washington. And Mr. Kerry’s peace envoy, Martin S. Indyk, trekked with a Palestinian leader to ancient ruins in Jericho.

In the last few weeks, even as both sides took steps that undermined the process, Mr. Kerry and his team produced a new package of incentives, including Palestinian autonomy for planning and zoning in Israeli-controlled parts of the West Bank. All sides left a meeting last Tuesday optimistic.

Read more ....

Update: How Secretary Kerry's Bid For Peace Ended Up In Tatters -- Christa Case Bryant, Christian Science Monitor

My Comment: This "peace process" was more focused on the process of the talks .... not on the issues that needed to be resolved. I understand that a process is important .... if done right it will create the momentum and pressure to come to an agreement. But in the Middle East .... having and/or making a deal when it is under pressure has never resolved anything .... if anything it usually made the situation worse. As to what do I expect next .... a time-out is now necessary .... but expectations have been raised and it would not surprise me if the more extremists elements in the West Bank may use the excuse of this failure to start-up another intifada .... or worse.

Israel Suspends All Peace Talks With Palestinians

Israel Suspends Peace Talks With Palestinians -- Al Jazeera

Talks halted in response to a new unity agreement between rival Palestinian factions.

The Israeli government has decided to halt peace talks with the Palestinians in response to a new unity agreement between rival Palestinian factions.

The decision appears to end a nine-month peace initiative by United States Secretary of State John Kerry. The negotiating period is scheduled to end next Tuesday, though the sides had been trying to agree to an extension.

Israel's Security Cabinet unanimously decided to cut off contacts after a five-hour meeting on Thursday. They announced the decision in a statement.

Read more ....

More News On Israel Suspending All Peace Talks With Palestinians

Israel halts peace talks as Hamas and Fatah strike unity deal -- The Telegraph
Netanyahu: Mideast peace talks ‘essentially buried’ if Hamas-Fatah deal stands -- FOX News
Israel Halts Peace Talks as Abbas Agrees to End Feud With Hamas -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Israel suspends peace talks after Palestinian unity bid -- Reuters
Israel suspends peace talks in response to Palestinian unity deal -- RT
Israel Suspends Talks After PA Embraces Unrepentant Hamas -- The Tower
Israel suspends talks with Palestinian Authority over Fatah-Hamas unity deal -- Haaretz
Netanyahu keeps door open to future negotiations after talks suspended due to Hamas-Fatah pact -- Jerusalem Post

My Comment: So it is now official .... the peace talks are dead. But the U.S. still believes that the peace talks are alive and ongoing .... Obama Administration Insists Mideast Peace Talks Still Alive -- The Cable/Foreign Policy

What's my take .... these talks were dead on the first day that they started.

Is This The End Of the Israel- - Palestinian Peace Process?

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem December 9, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Ammar Awad

Israeli Ministers Told Not To Meet Palestinian Counterparts -- Bloomberg Businessweek

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered cabinet ministers to stop meeting with their Palestinian counterparts, a government official said, hours after the U.S. blamed Israel for the breakdown of peace talks.

Israeli government officials have been told to refrain from meeting their Palestinian counterparts because the Palestinians violated commitments made under the peace talks, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss diplomacy for the record.

Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry charged that the announcement of 708 new Jewish homes in east Jerusalem derailed eight months of Mideast peace talks. Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he said the sides were closer to resolving differences over a delayed Israeli release of Palestinian prisoners when “700 settlement units were announced in Jerusalem and, poof, that was sort of the moment.”

Read more ....

More News On Israeli Ministers Being Told To Not Meet Their Palestinian Counterparts

Israel PM Netanyahu curbs contacts with Palestinians -- BBC
Netanyahu orders cutback in contacts with Palestinian Authority -- Reuters
Israel limits contact with Palestinians as talks falter -- Daily Star/AFP
Israeli ministers to stop meeting Palestinians -- AP
PM orders ministers to halt cooperation with Palestinians -- Israel Hayom
Israeli-Palestinian Talks Stall As Ministers Told Not To Meet With Counterparts -- CNN
Netanyahu brings stop to meetings with Palestinians -- The Guardian

My Comment: This "peace process" is dead .... the question that needs to be asked now is .... what is next?

Fall-Out In Israel On US Secretary Of State Kerry's Comments Yesterday Primarily Blaming Israel For The Collpase Of The Peace Process

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaches out to shake hands with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, but Kerry is about to explode. Photo by Reuters

Israel ‘Deeply Disappointed’ by Kerry’s Remarks on Peace Talks -- New York Times

JERUSALEM — In an unusually pointed rebuke of its ally, the United States, Israel said on Wednesday that it was “deeply disappointed” by Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks a day earlier that appeared to lay primary blame on Israel for the crisis in the American-brokered Middle East peace talks.

The Israeli-Palestinian dispute that has brought the talks to the brink of collapse appeared to be developing into an open row between Israel and the United States, even as Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were said to be planning a third meeting here this week with American mediators to try to resolve the crisis.
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In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, Mr. Kerry said that both the Israeli and Palestinian sides bore responsibility for “unhelpful” actions, but that the precipitating event of the impasse was Israel’s announcement of 700 new housing units for Jewish settlement in an area of Jerusalem across the 1967 lines, in territory the Palestinians claim for a future state.

“Poof, that was sort of the moment,” Mr. Kerry said. “We find ourselves where we are.”

Read more ....

Update #1: Senior Official: Israel 'Deeply Disappointed' By Kerry's Accusations -- Haaretz

My Comment: Everyone knew that these talks would most likely end in failure .... but at least the U.S. tried. Unfortunately .... the perception in the Middle East is that this failure is just another indicator that U.S. influence in the Middle East is in decline .... and that maybe new alliances and policies should be pursued by America's allies in the region.

Update #2: This analysis sums up U.S. problems in the region perfectly .... Troubled Mideast peace effort compounds U.S. policy woes in region -- Reuters