BICOM

According to media reports, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is likely to demand fresh concessions from Israel as a condition to extending peace talks when he meets US President Obama at the White House today. Abbas is also expected to reject key terms in the framework plan for final status talks being produced by US Secretary of State John Kerry, including the principle that a peace deal will recognise Israel’s character as the nation state of the Jewish people. Abbas recently gained Arab League backing for his rejection of this position.

The meeting comes two weeks after Obama hosted Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a meeting which also focussed on the US framework document. However, the Independent this morning suggests that Abbas will explain to Obama that the PA can make no further concessions. The report says Abbas will demand that Israel freeze West Bank settlement construction and make “gestures” over Palestinian prisoners as a condition for extending peace talks. The Israeli Walla news site reports that Abbas will insist Israel free additional Palestinian prisoners beyond those already scheduled for release at the end of March, including high-profile figures such as Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for orchestrating terror attacks.

The current nine month period for talks will run out at the end of April. The fourth and final scheduled release of Palestinian prisoners, agreed as part of a package to restart talks, is due at the end of March, but may be thrown into doubt if there is no agreement on the extension of talks.

During a weekend interview with Israel’s Channel Two, Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon restated his personal scepticism, expressing doubt that there would be peace in his lifetime and saying that Abbas is “a partner for taking, but not a partner for giving.” Ya’alon added that “If we [Israeli forces] won’t be in the West Bank, Hamas will rule there and Abbas will not be relevant.”

However, Israel’s Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who heads Israel’s negotiating team, responded by saying, “Those who state there will be no accord in our era are the ones who have given up.” Livni conceded that the situation is “complex and difficult, but grumbling and despairing is easy.” Instead, she explained that “Simply voicing criticism of the other side (I have some too) is not a plan of action for leaders… Our responsibility is to change reality to safeguard and protect that which is important to us.”