BICOM

According to AFP, US President Barack Obama told Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting at the White House on Monday that he would press Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to make the necessary concessions to agree a framework plan for final status talks.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is spearheading efforts to broker a peace agreement between Israel and the PA, is expected to present both sides with a framework plan for final status talks during the coming weeks, which he hopes will enable negotiations to extend beyond their original April deadline. According to AFP, Obama told Netanyahu that he would push Abbas to match any Israeli concessions during a meeting with the Palestinian leader later this month. The report quotes a senior Obama administration official, who commented, “It’s not as though the Palestinians are going to get a pass.” One of Netanyahu’s key demands is likely to be Palestinian recognition of Israel as a characteristically Jewish state as a foundation for mutual recognition.

Prior to Monday’s meeting, in an interview with Bloomberg, Obama stressed the urgency of concluding a peace accord, saying, “With each successive year, the window is closing for a peace deal.” He emphasised that, “We are coming to a point, though, over the next couple of months where the parties are going to have to make some decisions about how they move forward.”

However, during a meeting with Meretz leader Zahava Gal-On in Ramallah on Monday, Abbas appeared to add new conditions to the continuation of peace talks. He told Gal-On that for negotiations to be extended, Israel must institute a freeze on construction in the West Bank and free additional Palestinian prisoners beyond those already slated for release as part of a deal to re-start peace talks in July. Maariv this morning notes Palestinian reports that Abbas also wants the US to grant a package of financial benefits.