Obama walked out of one of the meetings with Netanyahu
Binyamin Netanyahu is gathering his ministers to discuss a package of gestures to offer the Palestinians [EPA]
Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, has called a crisis "inner cabinet" meeting after returning from difficult talks in the US over the issue of settlement activity in occupied East Jerusalem.
The extraordinary meeting, held on Friday, follows Netanyahu's return from a troubled-three day visit to Washington where he failed to resolve a diplomatic crisis over Israel's settlement building plans.
Israel is struggling to get relations with the US back on track after Israel earlier this month announced plans to build 1,600 settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
The move prompted the Palestinians to pull out of indirect peace talks with Israel and caused a rift with Washington as the announcement came during a visit to Israel by Joe Biden, the US vice-president.
Zvi Hauser, Netanyahu's cabinet secretary, said the group of seven senior ministers would consider a package of goodwill gestures drawn up during Netanyahu's US visit.
"All aspects of the issue will be examined and they will formulate Israel's position according to Israel's interests and in the time needed to do so," he said.
'Goodwill gestures'
Sherine Tadros, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Jerusalem, said the cabinet would likely focus on three issues.
"Firstly, the idea of putting core issues like the status of Jerusalem on the negotiating table between Israel and the Palestinians even before they get to negotiations at the so-called indirect proximity talks stage.
"Secondly is the issue of releasing 2,000 or so Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in a move to bolster the confidence behind Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.
"Thirdly, an idea to put some of the Israeli-controlled areas of the West Bank under the authority of the Palestinian Authority," she said.
"But what is clear is that Israel hasn't changed its stance on construction in East Jerusalem and that has put it on a collision course with the Obama administration."
Hauser said it was unlikely there would be quick agreement from the discussions and denied media reports of a US deadline to supply answers by Saturday night.
While in Washington, Netanyahu met Barack Obama, the Israeli prime minister, but with no statement after the meeting, speculation has been rife about the atmosphere during the talks.
The Fox News website on Friday reported that Obama had walked out of one of the meetings with Netanyahu after failing to gain a written promise of concessions on settlement activity.
The report went on to say that the US president invited Netanyahu to stay at the White House, consult with advisers and "let me know if there is anything new", according to a US congressman who spoke to the prime minister.
Difficult meeting
No public statements were made by the two leaders following the meeting, no photo opportunities were presented and no access was granted for reporters.
But Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, rejected claims that Obama was avoiding publicity, saying: "This is the way we felt most comfortable handling this one."
Following Netanyahu's return, Nir Hefez, the prime minister's spokesman, told Israel's army radio that Israel had achieved understandings with the US, which included a point that "construction policy in Jerusalem doesn't change".
But Mark Regev, a spokesman for the prime minister's office, quickly clarified that Hefez was "articulating the Israeli position ... not articulating a joint position".
Before peace talks can move forward, the Palestinians want a complete Israeli settlement freeze in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank.
"There is absolutely nothing new, as of this moment, regarding the situation facing the peace process," Nabil Abu Rdainah, an aide to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, said.
Abbas is likely to discuss the situation with the Arab League, which meets in Libya on Saturday.
Update: According to the UK Telegraph, Mr Obama presented
Mr Netanyahu with a list of 13 demands designed both to the end the
feud
with his administration and to build Palestinian confidence ahead of
the
resumption of peace talks. Key among those demands was to halt all new settlement construction in east Jerusalem.
When the Israeli prime minister stalled, Mr Obama walked out of the meeting declaring: "I'm going to the residential wing to have dinner with
Michelle and the girls." He didn't invite Netanyahu to the family gathering.
As he left, Mr Netanyahu was told to consider the error of his ways.
"I'm
still around," Mr Obama is quoted by Israel's Yediot Ahronot newspaper
as having said. "Let me know if there is anything new."
For more than an hour, Mr Netanyahu and his aides closeted themselves in the
Roosevelt Room on the first floor of the White House to map out a
response
to the president's demands.
Although the two men then met again, at 8.20 pm, for a brief second
meeting,
it appeared that
they failed to break the impasse.
White House officials were
quoted as
saying that disagreements remained. Shimon Peres, the Israeli
president,
added: "Apparently they did not reach an understanding with the United
States."
It was the second time this month that Mr Netanyahu has been at the
receiving
end of a US dinner-time snub.
A fortnight ago, Joe Biden the US vice president, arrived 90 minutes
late for
a dinner Mr Netanyahu hosted in Jerusalem after Israel announced plans
to
build 1,600 new homes in Eastern Jerusalem.
Rightardia comment:
Israel has been a bigger impediment to peace in the middle east than Palestine. Jimmy Carter pointed this out many years ago. The only way the US will get Netanyahu's attention is to cut economic and military aid to Israel.
Netanyahu is a hardliner and we were glad that the Obama administration played the visit down while the PM was in Washington. The J Street demonstrations were also essential to show the Israeli PM that he no longer has unwavering support form the American Jewish community (see http://jstreet.org/).
Of interest, the Netanyahu visit was not even mentioned on the White House blog.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
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source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/7521391/Obama-snubbed-Netanyahu-for-dinner-with-Michelle-and-the-girls-Israelis-claim.html
Jason Perlow is a technologist with over
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computing environments in Fortune 500 companies.
