Israeli Settlement Plan Derailed Peace Talks, Kerry Says

[JI7]

Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that Israel’s announcement of 700 new apartments for Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem precipitated the bitter impasse in peace negotiations last week between Israel and the Palestinians.

While Mr. Kerry said both sides bore responsibility for “unhelpful” actions, he noted that the publication of tenders for housing units came four days after a deadline passed for Israel to release Palestinian prisoners and complicated Israel’s own deliberations over whether to extend the talks.

“Poof, that was sort of the moment,” Mr. Kerry said in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Still, Mr. Kerry said that the Israelis and Palestinians were still talking, with the United States acting as a broker, and that if the two sides could get past the dispute over the prisoner release, they could return to substantive negotiations for a peace accord.

“It’s up to them,” Mr. Kerry said. “They have to come to the conclusion that it’s worth it.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/09/world/middleeast/israeli-settlement-plan-derailed-peace-talks-kerry-says.html?_r=0

[wisteria]

1. He is right. He has work so hard on this, and in the end no diplomacy

will work if the sides don't want it. I just feel sad that even after giving it all he had, they would rather hate one another, mock Kerry, and continue down the same destructive path. My respect for both Israeli and Palestine has gone way down. It is time for Kerry to put his valuable experience to work where it will really count for something.

[mylye2222]

2. I do second you Wisteria,

He must be really disapointed, he gave so much of himsfel on that issue. He said today, according to french news, that Israeli officials ( the most pro-colonisations) delibarately blocked his efforts. But Palestine didn't help either.

[wisteria]

3. There is a good oped in the LA Times, encouraging Kerry to continue to pursue peace.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/commentary/la-oe-spiegel-mideast-talks-kerry-20140410,0,7499859.story#axzz2yRrCuMHt




"John F. Kerry has brought the peace process back into focus, he's dragged both sides into talks even though they were loath to make concessions, and he has altered the dialogue and perhaps even attained some concessions behind the scenes"

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/commentary/la-oe-spiegel-mideast-talks-kerry-20140410,0,7499859.story#ixzz2yS5VcPr5