Minister Says Talks with PA are Doomed – Temporarily
March 29, 2014Minister of Intelligence, International Relations and Strategic Affairs, Yuval Steinitz, says that it depends on Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas – aka Abu Mazen – whether or not the fourth and final tranche of the release of Palestinian Arab terrorists takes place.
Steinitz pointed at statements by Abbas’ senior negotiator, according to which he is only continuing with the negotiations because Israel is releasing terrorists prisoners, as a “goodwill gesture” toward the PA.
“If Abu Mazen is hinting that after this tranche he intends to torpedo the negotiations, that is not possible from our point of view,” Steintz told Channel 10. He added that it was agreed from the outset that the terrorists released would not include Israeli Arabs.
“There was no commitment to release Israelis and it was said in an unmistakably clear way that these tranches do not include them,” he added, and vowed to vote against any initiative to release Israeli citizens.
Steinitz estimated that the talks with the PA are headed toward failure, but added that he believes this will only be a temporary state, following which the talks will be renewed.
The estimate is in line with similar statements by the PA’s Jibril Rajoub, who said the talks were stalled but would likely resume soon.
An unnamed PA official claimed last week that Abbas’ conditions for prolonging talks were additional prisoner releases by Israel and a complete building freeze in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
Regarding attempts at reconciliation with Turkey, Steinitz revealed that he spoke this week with Turkish president Abdullah Gül, at a nuclear summit in Holland.
“It so happened that we spoke,” he said. “The conversation started by chance and it was long and friendly, out of a hope that relations with Turkey will return to be as they once were. We have heaps of common interests and we are making many efforts. I hope it will work out soon,” he summed up.
Similar posts
-
The Amazing Country of Israel
September 15, 2023Introduction Nestled in the heart of the Middle East, Israel is a nation with a remarkable histo...
-
Israel Safeguards The World From Terror Attacks
August 23, 2023Introduction In an era where terrorism poses a significant threat to global security, Israel sta...
-
Israel Helps The World With Water Recycling
August 10, 2023Introduction In a world grappling with the challenges of water scarcity and resource management,...
-
Israel's Remarkable Female Soldiers
July 26, 2023Introduction When we think of the Israeli military, we often conjure up images of well-trained s...
-
About Gal Gadot's Cleopatra Movie
July 18, 2023By Katy Rath Gal Gadot's new Cleopatra movie has been steeped in both anticipation and controver...
-
Israel Empowers The World Through Innovation
July 10, 2023BY: SOLVE ISRAEL'S PROBLEMS Introduction:In recent years, Israel has emerged as a global powerho...
-
The Jerusalem Embassy, 5 Years Later
May 22, 2023By Nikki Haley On May 14, 2018, something incredible happened. The United States...
-
Israel's Fauda Top TV Show in Arab Countries
February 1, 2023Even some Arab countries without diplomatic relations with Israel are hooked on the action-packed d...
