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Obama to set binding timetable for Israel-PA talks
By Barak Ravid
Tags: Two-state solution 

U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to announce a diplomatic plan soon for renewal of the Middle East peace process.

A central feature of the plan, which will be presented to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, will be a binding timetable for negotiations on the core issues involved in a final resolution of the conflict.

It may also be precluded by an easing of pressure for a building freeze in the settlements on the part of the Unites States.
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A senior Western diplomat closely involved in current contacts involving the U.S., Israel, the PA and moderate Arab states noted that the American administration is currently developing the diplomatic plan but is only interested in pursuing it after the settlement issue and the matter of pro-Israel gestures from the Arab states are resolved.

The American plan will essentially restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians which have been deadlocked for over six months. The plan will not deal with all of the specific details of the negotiations and will not provide parameters for the resolution of core issues. Rather it will provide a framework for negotiations, how they will be conducted, follow-up mechanisms and especially the timetable for negotiations.

The senior diplomat said Obama is interested in bringing talks to a conclusion "on time" as a way of obligating the parties to make progress.

The diplomat also noted that the U.S. is now interested in reaching a compromise with Israel on the settlement issue as a prelude to presentation of the American plan, as the Americans have understood that Israel cannot agree to an absolute freeze in construction in the settlements.

The change in the American view on the issue was the result of the fact that about 2,500 homes in the settlements are in various advanced stages of construction which cannot be halted.

U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell is therefore attempting to find a formula by which Israel will go as far as it can to stop settlement building.

The shift in the American position is also the product of the refusal on the part of the moderate Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, to make significant normalization gestures toward Israel. In all probability, when the Americans understood that in any event they would not obtain substantial gestures from the Arabs, they decided to reach a compromise with Israel.

The compromise will also include an agreement on a joint database between Israel and the U.S. which will permit close tracking of settlement construction and verification that it is being kept to a minimum.

The plan, according to the senior diplomat, would also include other Israeli confidence-building measures toward the Palestinians. The diplomatic source cautioned that the Arab world's total lack of trust in Netanyahu remained a major problem.
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  1.   If you make a demand, stick to it! 09:16  |  Yoni 16/07/09
  2.   I agree with you 100% (Yoni #1). 09:48  |  Bandar Michaels 16/07/09
  3.   Bibi has already rejected giving right of return or Jerusalem 10:04  |  Sam 16/07/09
  4.   Obama: Don`t waste our time! 10:32  |  Natallie Durson 16/07/09
  5.   Obama--do "NOT" back down on the settlements 10:33  |  Labhras 16/07/09
  6.   Back to where we came from 10:37  |  Moses 16/07/09
  7.   A bucketload of wishful thinking..... 10:46  |  Johnboy 16/07/09
  8.   Talks 11:18  |  Oz 16/07/09
  9.   But it`s Israel`s land, it was not taken form the pals 12:13  |  Randi 16/07/09
  10.   A little flexibility is OK if it leads to a setlement 13:13  |  r cummings 16/07/09
  11.   Placing priorities-why not timetable for conflicts in Africa 13:27  |  Stan 16/07/09
  12.   Backflip Obama does it again. 13:32  |  Peter Williams 16/07/09
  13.   Just to point out the obvious..... 13:48  |  Johnboy 16/07/09
  14.   # 9 randi 14:16  |  Axel 16/07/09
  15.   Just laughable ...with whom should Israel negotiate? 14:35  |  Daniel 16/07/09
  16.   Precluded or preceded? 14:53  |  John Brown 16/07/09
  17.   Abbas is not a partner: His term as president expired............ 15:00  |  Vittorio 16/07/09
  18.   "Binding"? Hah. Diving Obama poll numbers reveal his credibility 15:13  |  Dr. L. Brnd 16/07/09
  19.   Israel is making peace with U.S., not the Arabs 15:28  |  IW 16/07/09
  20.   Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity 15:40  |  Lynn 16/07/09
  21.   Israel needs to stand firm and look out for its own interests... 15:48  |  B. Gold 16/07/09
  22.   Time table for Kurds, Basques, Tibetians, etc 16:01  |  Heat Heath 16/07/09
  23.   If True, It Is A Sad Development 16:13  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/07/09
  24.   Obama "promises" 16:58  |  Christopher 16/07/09
  25.   Lynn - `Good faith` gestures 16:58  |  r cummings 16/07/09
  26.   #18 Dr. L Brnd.....it has been a distinct pleasure 17:08  |  Lynn 16/07/09
  27.   Stopping terror was part of Phase 1 too 17:13  |  You must be kidding 16/07/09
  28.   #25 r cummings....Arabs don`t want the Road Map 17:14  |  Lynn 16/07/09
  29.   Israel is stopping all new settlements but these 17:14  |  Bloodyscot 16/07/09
  30.   The President of Platitudes: polls, ratings, how to be well with 17:25  |  Israeli citizen 16/07/09
  31.   A binding timetable is a positive approach... 17:26  |  Smadar 16/07/09
  32.   Peter Williams....lets call them suburbs 17:28  |  Lynn 16/07/09
  33.   obama to set binding timetable for israel-pa talk 17:42  |  johnson 16/07/09
  34.   Arabs want to destroy Israel with refugees but upset at settlers 17:44  |  Sam 16/07/09
  35.   Lynn on Normalisation 17:53  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/07/09
  36.   #27 You are kidding, YMBK 17:54  |  Johnboy 16/07/09
  37.   Exactly What is Needed 18:03  |  Vladek 16/07/09
  38.   unnecessary waste of time and effort 18:07  |  Yakub Hlal 16/07/09
  39.   history revisionists the lot of you! 18:20  |  Jamie 16/07/09
  40.   the real threat 18:35  |  jon 16/07/09
  41.   Arabs did not carry out 1st stage of Road Map 18:59  |  D.Leitner 16/07/09
  42.   # 33 jamie 19:03  |  Axel 16/07/09
  43.   Obama is giving israel almost $3 Billions this year! 19:04  |  Tony Silver 16/07/09
  44.   to Vittorio...The same old excuse ? 19:06  |  Tony Silver 16/07/09
  45.   Binding timetable 19:46  |  Sabah 16/07/09
  46.   D. Leitner on Hamas 19:54  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/07/09
  47.   So many antisemites 20:25  |  Frank 16/07/09
  48.   Hudna--Shmudna, Yaakov Sullivan 21:50  |  IW 16/07/09
  49.   If Obama compromise now! 22:14  |  Ice 16/07/09
  50.   Let Israel keep building.... 00:22  |  kiwi girl 17/07/09
  51.   Johnboy is Gaza no longer included in Roadmap? 00:58  |  Peter Williams 17/07/09
  52.   So all that need be done to call his bluff 01:24  |  Mark Lincoln 17/07/09
  53.   #12 Astonishingly weak arguments, Peter Williams 02:22  |  Johnboy 17/07/09
  54.   To Tony Silver 05:19  |  David 17/07/09
  55.   9.This land was taken from JORDAN,and They don`t want it back" 06:08  |  lydia 17/07/09
  56.   Obama in for a surprise 06:20  |  leoblue 17/07/09
  57.   Obama`s abort Revolution ... 09:03  |  Hazyr Dervishi 17/07/09
  58.   United settlers for a "one state solution" 21:33  |  Blinded by religion 17/07/09
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