Your
humble Cable guy is on vacation, but
sending along this briefing skipper, in which we scour the transcript of the
State Department's daily presser so you don't have to. These are the highlights
of Thursday's briefing by Special Envoy George Mitchell:
Mitchell
came out to brief the press after the first full round of talks had ended. The
first meeting involved the full U.S., Israeli, and Palestinian delegations and
took place on the 8th floor of the State Department. After that, Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton, Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,
and Mitchell continued in Clinton's personal office (pictured above). When that
ended, Netanyahu and Abbas had a one-on-one talk. "In the trilateral meeting, there was a long and productive discussion
on a range of issues," Mitchell said. "President Abbas and Prime Minister
Netanyahu expressed their intent to approach these negotiations in good faith
and with a seriousness of purpose."
Don't expect detailed readouts of
the talks, Mitchell warned. "[Netanyahu and Abbas] also agreed that for these
negotiations to succeed, they must be kept private and treated with the utmost
sensitivity. So what I and they are able to disclose to you today and in the
future will be limited," he said. But Mitchell did reveal that Netanyahu and Abbas
reaffirmed their commitment to "a viable state of Palestine alongside a secure
state of Israel." They also agreed these negotiations can be completed within
one year. They did discuss settlements, but not in detail.
The
two sides agreed the next step is to work out a framework agreement, the
purpose of which is "to establish the fundamental
compromises necessary to enable them to flesh out and complete a comprehensive
treaty." So what is a framework agreement exactly? "A framework agreement is
not an interim agreement. It's more detailed than a declaration of principles,
but is less than a full-fledged treaty," Mitchell said.
The next meeting will be Sept 14 and
15 in the region and they will try to meet every two weeks after that. The
planning for that meeting, which includes the U.S., is underway. Clinton and
Mitchell will both go to the region to attend. As for exactly what will be
discussed when, Mitchell isn't saying. "You cannot separate process from
substance in these discussions. There is an interaction that affects both, and
we've made it clear that these issues are to be determined by the parties."
Mitchell
described the relationship between Netanyahu and Abbas at the meeting as "cordial."
He pointed out that the two leaders
have know each other for a long time. "They are not in any way strangers,
politically or personally. And I felt that it was a very constructive and
positive mood, both in terms of their personal interaction and in terms of the
nature of the discussion that occurred," Mitchell said.
The Iranian government's actions,
which Netanyahu mentioned Thursday, do have an influence on the peace negotiations,
Mitchell said, arguing that those actions provide another clear reason for everybody
in the region to make peace. "Obviously one of the factors that makes that
desirable -- in my judgment, necessary for all of these parties -- is in part
the actions and policies that have been and are being taken by the government
of Iran," Mitchell said. "Yes, so it is a factor."
Mitchell didn't want to compare
President Obama's effort to organize peace talks with past administrations, but
he did praise Obama for making the issue a priority at the very beginning of
his administration. "There have been many very well-written books on the
history of the past 20 years. I think I've read most of them. And it's very
clear that at least in a couple of instances, time ran out," he said.
"Well, this president, I believe, will succeed. But as he said yesterday,
neither success nor failure is predetermined or guaranteed. But it isn't going
to be because time ran out at the end."
Mitchell wasn't overly confident
about the result of the new talks, but said he personally believed that these
negotiations can produce a final agreement that will solve the conflict once
and for all." There has to be a sincerity and a seriousness of purpose combined
with a realistic appraisal and understanding of the difficulties, but a
determination to overcome them. I believe that exists. I believe these two
leaders, President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu, are committed to doing
what it takes to achieve the right result."
Good post!!Thanks for the valuable information. It was very useful for me. Keep sharing such ideas in the future as well.keep blogging. Application Control127
I differ with Mitchell’s comment “Not to compare Pres. Obama’s intuitive with past Administrations”. That’s just not true the issues are the same and the sides have not changed their positions on them. So with the exception of having locked Netanyahu and Abbas in a room on the 8th floor of the state department; sounds more and more like Camp David! The only difference is Manockem Began would tell Abbas to kiss his touchy.
Josh Rogin reports on national security and foreign policy from the Pentagon to Foggy Bottom, the White House to Embassy Row, for The Cable.
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