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Peres met secretly with Palestinian negotiator
By Barak Ravid and Jonathan Lis
Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu 

President Shimon Peres and lead Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat held a secret meeting last week in Jerusalem in an effort to ease the way toward a tripartite meeting at the United Nations General Assembly on September 23. That meeting would involve U.S. President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Palestinians have been unwilling to agree to such a meeting unless Israel's settlement freeze includes East Jerusalem.

For some weeks now, Peres has been trying to assist Netanyahu in his exchanges with the U.S. administration and also with senior figures in the PA, in order to get the peace negotiations back on track.
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According to two political sources in Jerusalem and foreign diplomats, last week Peres invited Erekat to Jerusalem for talks. Abbas has made Erekat his point man for exchanges with Israel and the Americans.

Erekat's standing in the Palestinian hierarchy was upgraded after Abbas removed Ahmed Qureia from the position of chief negotiator several months ago, due to infighting within Fatah.If the negotiations are resumed in the near future, Erekat will lead the Palestinian negotiating team.

Erekat met with Peres at the President's Residence in Jerusalem for about two hours. Peres stressed, during the meeting, that every thing must be done to pave the way toward resumed negotiations by the end of the month.

"This opportunity must not be allowed to pass," Peres told the Palestinian negotiator. "I am asking that you tell Abu Mazen [Abbas] this. He needs to attend the meeting at the UN."

Peres acknowledged that "there may be differences on the subject of the settlements and other issues, but they will be resolved. The most important thing now is to renew the talks as soon as possible."

The president also put forth a number of ideas regarding the possible path that the talks could progress on. For example, Peres believes that it is possible to reach agreement on a number of issues in a short while, especially on matters pertaining to borders.

The office of the president refused a Haaretz request for further details on the discussions between Peres and Erekat.

However, a diplomatic source who spoke with senior Palestinian Authority officials, including Erekat, said that in spite of the enormous pressure being applied on Abbas, he refuses to agree to a meeting with Netanyahu unless Israel announces a complete construction freeze in the settlements and East Jerusalem.

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell will meet Netanyahu Tuesday, in an effort to reach agreement on the settlement construction freeze that would enable a meeting with Abbas to take place.

Netanyahu is willing to approve only a partial construction freeze for a period less than the year the Americans are demanding. It is believed that the two sides will compromise on a nine-month hiatus in construction.

Following his meeting with Netanyahu, Mitchell will travel to Ramallah for a meeting with Abbas.

In recent weeks, senior American officials relayed messages to Israel asking that it soften its stance on the settlements and offer the Palestinians an opportunity to retreat from their hardline position on the possibility of a tripartite meeting at the UN.

Netanyahu, who met with the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Sunday, said that a tripartite meeting at the UN is not a certainty.

"Nothing has been agreed regarding a meeting with Abu Mazen," the prime minister told the MKs.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu commented on the impending meeting with Mitchell during a conference with Likud cabinet members. Netanyahu was asked if Israel had agreed to a two-year timeline for negotiations and the prime minister responded that the U.S. administration had undertaken not to spring policy surprises on Jerusalem.

"In any case, I will not agree to enter into talks whose results are defined and known in advance," Netanyahu told his party. "That's what negotiations are for and we are willing to begin right away."

In discussing the talks with the United States on freezing construction in the settlements, Netanyahu stressed that the agreement is only about "cutting down the construction" and said that it was still uncertain how long the restrictions would apply.

Netanyahu said that the agreement includes the continued construction of 2,500 housing units on which work has already begun, and 450 new housing units in the large settlement blocs. Netanyahu also said that public structures will be allowed, including schools, synagogues and more.

The prime minister also blamed the Palestinians for delaying the resumption of negotiations and accused them of "hardening their positions."

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      1.   I think Obamas Presidency will make peace harder,rather than easi 11:52  |  Alan SA 15/09/09
      2.   Peres met secretly with Palestinian 12:00  |  Ralph 15/09/09
      3.   Let Abbas keep boycotting. I love the silence. 12:52  |  happy American 15/09/09
      4.   What secret is it and a secret of whom? 13:11  |  Petteri 15/09/09
      5.   talking is better than rockets and suicide bombers 13:13  |  kid kosher 15/09/09
      6.   condition 14:15  |  Yaron 15/09/09
      7.   Secret meeting on the menu 14:20  |  allang 15/09/09
      8.   Israel`s stubbornness 15:17  |  WHG 15/09/09
      9.   Erekat is the "Palestinian negotiator" who stated in Annapolis: 15:48  |  Eitan 15/09/09
      10.   to # 5, ur right and talking is also better the f16`s and Mirkava 17:02  |  ahmad 15/09/09
      11.   Nonsense A Typical Responce 18:08  |  williams 15/09/09
      12.   A new proposal for compromise . . . 18:29  |  Lisa 15/09/09
      13.   Forget the "settlement freeze" nonsense. Establish the borders. 18:47  |  Lou Medel 15/09/09
      14.   Those who refuse to talk ... 21:00  |  Akram Zekaria 15/09/09
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