From Israel Hayom, 7 July 2013, by Shlomo Cesana, Daniel Siryoti, Gideon Alon:
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry upon his arrival to Israel in May
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Photo credit: Reuters  |
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to visit Israel this weekend to continue efforts to get the Palestinians at the negotiating table.
A senior Israeli official said on Saturday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no intention of caving to Palestinian demands ahead of talks, and that his objective is clear: To renew negotiations immediately, without preconditions, with an assurance that negotiations will be held over a long period of time and will cover all the issues.
Netanyahu wants to avoid a situation whereby Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will try stepping away from the negotiating table after a few meetings and turn to the United Nations in September under the premise that Israel is to blame for the failure of the talks.
Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Avigdor Lieberman, said Saturday that the Yisrael Beytenu party (which he also chairs) will object to any Israeli concession.
"Whoever looks at the international arena understands that conditions are not yet ripe for a breakthrough," Lieberman said. "We will fight against and adamantly object to any decision regarding the release of terrorists or freezing construction."
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