Israel Matzav

Peres to Fox: Obama to moderate Netanyahu - Abu Mazen meeting

In an interview with Fox News which is scheduled to show at 6:00 pm Eastern time on Monday, Israeli President Shimon Peres tells Fox News that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen will meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in September. American President Barack Hussein Obama will be the 'moderator.'

"Yes, I think they will meet by the end of September. President Obama will chair it, and I think that at least there is a chance that they will decide they are going to reopen negotiations," Peres said. "But that will not include Hamas."

In order for that to happen, the Israelis will likely have to agree to suspend or halt settlement construction. Peres said that issue is still unresolved.

"On that particular issue, there is not yet an agreement. Negotiations are going on," the Israeli president told FOX News. "I do believe there is a solution for it as well. ... It must be soon. It's very hard to convince your own people to make so many concessions -- to take so many risks.

"But this is the task of a leader to move ahead. (Netanyahu) is aware of the choice, and he knows there is no chance, no escape, no alternative to go ahead and make peace. He knows he must do it ... it's just not a simple proposition."

The problem is that while the US and Israel may be trying to reach an agreement, the 'moderator' has done such a good job of advocating for the 'Palestinians' that Abu Mazen is still insisting that he won't talk to Netanyahu unless there is a 'total settlement freeze.'

The report quoted Abbas aide Nabil Shaath as saying that the PA president would only resume negotiations with a complete halt to settlement activity, without "loopholes," as well as a commitment from Israel to establish a Palestinian state.

Speaking to reporters in Ramallah, Shaath said that the settlement freeze must not be limited by "artificial time frames."

He further specified that the halt should apply not only to the West Bank, but also to east Jerusalem.

When asked, hypothetically, how the PA would respond to a request from Washington and US President Barack Obama to resume negotiations with Israel based on a limited settlement freeze, the Abbas aide was quoted as saying, "I would say, Mr Obama, we love you ... but I am sorry, this is not enough to bring us to the peace process."

Arafat will likely enjoy this. What could go wrong?

UPDATE 2:14 AM

Here's a report on the Peres interview. Let's go to the videotape.



And here's the full interview. Let's go to the videotape.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:50 AM