Netenyahu, Abbas Agree To Meet Again In Two Weeks

UPDATE - 5:00pm - Both heads of state, Prime Minister Netenyahu and President Abbas, agreed today to meet for another round of talks in mid-September, according to U.S. President Barack Obama’s special Mideast peace envoy, George Mitchell. The meeting will take place in the Middle East, though an exact location has not yet been specified.

WASHINGTON - After two years of silence, direct negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders begin today.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet at the State Department, presided over by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to begin discussions of compromise and long-lasting peace.

A major factor in these negotiations is the expanded settlement of Israel in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.  There is currently a moratorium on the settlement expansion that played a major role in building the trust for advancing Thursday’s peace talks. The moratorium, however, is scheduled to expire September 26 and if it is not extended, peace talks between Israel and Palestine will take a heavy blow.

President Barack Obama met with the two leaders yesterday, along with the leaders from Jordan and Egypt, to emphasize that this is an opportunity that must be seized. Despite lingering skepticism, Obama said he believes both countries are looking to achieve a peaceful resolution.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas are two leaders who I believe want peace [and] both sides have indicated that these negotiations can be completed within one year,” Obama said in an address following meetings with both Netanyahu and Abbas. “Now is the time for leaders of courage and vision to deliver the peace that their people deserve.”

Settlement Moratorium A Deal Breaker For Egypt, Palestine

Ambassador Soliman Awaad, spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency, told reporters at a briefing Wednesday that he, along with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, believe that newly launched peace talks between Israel and Palestine will only be successful if Israel ends their settlement expansion.

President Mubarak said in a New York Times Op-Ed that the success of these negotiations is contingent upon whether or not the current moratorium on Israel’s settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is extended. 

“For its part, Israel should make no mistake; settlements and peace are incompatible,” Mubarak said. “A complete halt to Israel’s settlement expansion… is critical if the negotiations are to succeed.”

Awaad reiterated to the press that the moratorium’s extension plays a very pivotal role in bridging the gap between Israel and Palestine.

“This twenty-sixth day is of crucial importance,” Awaad said. “If [the moratorium] is not extended, all bets are off.”

The spokesman said Egypt wants the moratorium extended and would sympathize with Palestine in breaking negotiations if Israel does not comply. If the 10-month expansion moratorium, scheduled to expire on Septermber 26, is not extended, Awaad said negotiations will likely cease and a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine will end once again.

“The expansion of Israeli settlements have led to a collapse of trust on both sides,” Mubarak said. “For the talks to succeed, we must rebuild trust.”

Obama Meets With Netanyahu, Calls Relationship With Israel "Unbreakable"

President Barack Obama met in the Oval Office with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday and attempted to counter the notion that relations between the two countries are strained.

“The bond between the U.S. and Israeli is unbreakable,” Obama told reporters. 

The last face-to-face meeting between the heads of state was in late March, shortly after the White House issued a strong statement criticizing the extension of settlements in the East Bank. Photographers were not allowed to attend and the talks were reportedly icy.

Obama and Netanyahu were scheduled to meet at the White House in early June. However, the controversy surrounding the Israeli military’s confrontation with a humanitarian flotilla attempting to break the Gaza blockade delayed the plans. 

The two leaders discussed pressing policy issues, including resuming direct peace negotiations with the Palestinians, a possibility that Obama hoped could be achieved before a partial settlement moratorium expires in September, and deterring a nuclear armed Iran.

Obama also reaffirmed America’s commitment to Israel’s safety.

“Israel has unique security requirements,” Obama said. “The U.S. will never ask Israel to take risks that would undermine its security.”

Administration Official: Israel Will Be Well Represented At Nuclear Summit, Despite PM’s Absence

Israel will be well represented at next week’s nuclear security summit, despite the absence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior Obama administration official told reporters Friday.

“They are sending their deputy prime minister [Dan Meridor] to head their delegation,” said Ben Rhodes, the Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, during a conference call. “He is the person within the Israeli government with the responsibility for the issues that will be discussed at the summit.”

Added Rhodes, “Israel will be represented by a very effective delegation.”

The Israeli prime minister announced that he would not attend the summit yesterday amid concerns that delegates from Turkey and Egypt would put pressure on Israel for allegedly maintaining a nuclear arsenal and not signing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

Netanyahu’s absence does not bode well for the U.S., whose relationship with Israel has been strained since the Israeli government announced that they will build housing settlements in East Jerusalem, a contested territory within the country. The controversial announcement took place while Vice President Joe Biden was in Israel on a diplomatic trip. It was viewed in some circles as an embarrassment for the Obama administration.

Netanyahu reportedly received an icy reception from the White House when he visited Washington soon after.

Next week’s summit will host delegations from 47 nations. It comes shortly after the U.S. signed an arms reduction treaty with Russia and released guidelines to tone-down the strategic influence of nuclear weapons.