Itongadol.- PM says Palestinians are not budging on issues of recognizing Israel as Jewish state or on "right of return"; PLO negotiator Erekat says Israel has chosen settlements and dictates instead of peace and negotiations.
The Palestinians are refusing to budge on the issue of recognizing Israel as a Jewish state and forfeiting the "right of return," Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Sunday, adding that it was impossible to say there was progress right now in the diplomatic process.
At the same time, he added in comments he made at Sunday\’s weekly cabinet meeting, "we are continuing to work with the Americans."
Indyk\’s efforts come just a week before Israel is expected to release the fourth and final batch of Palestinian security prisoners it agreed to let go last July as part of the framework that led to the re-starting of negotiations.
Livni last week questioned the wisdom of going through with the talks if the Palestinians do not commit themselves to continuing the negotiations past the nine month deadline for the talks that expires on April 29.
“To move serious negotiations forward, all of us will have to make decisions and show that we want an agreement and true peace,” Livni said. “The burden of proof also rests on the Palestinians’ shoulders. We will consider the prisoner matter in this light, so that the keys to the prison doors are in the hands of Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] and the decisions he will take in the coming days.”
Livni said there was never an “automatic commitment to release prisoners unrelated to making progress in negotiations.”