Netanyahu agrees goodwill moves to jump-start peace process, reports say

Israeli media reports that prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who will hold talks in Jerusalem today with US secretary of state John Kerry, has agreed to a series of goodwill gestures to jump-start the Middle East peace process.

Mr Netanyahu will reportedly agree to release veteran Palestinian prisoners ahead of next month’s Muslim holy month of Ramadan and to a construction freeze in West Bank Jewish communities outside the main Israeli settlement blocs.

According to western diplomats, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, who is scheduled to meet Mr Kerry tomorrow in Jordan, has already agreed to meet Mr Netanyahu. US diplomats are trying to arrange a three-way preparatory meeting in Jordan next week to be attended by Israeli, Palestinian and American officials.

However, on Tuesday in Ramallah, Mr Abbas played down reports that a diplomatic breakthrough was imminent.

Mr Abbas told visiting Norwegian deputy foreign minister Torgeir Larsen peace talks with Israel should be based on the two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state "on the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital".

Serious intent
Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem refused to confirm the reported Israeli concessions, but said Mr Netanyahu was serious in his intent to hold direct, comprehensive negotiations without preconditions.

The officials expressed concern that Mr Abbas wanted to delay until September so he could again go to the UN General Assembly and take unilateral steps.

Mr Kerry, ahead of his fifth visit in four months as part of his push to get the sides round the negotiating table, said he did not want to set any deadlines but stressed the need for progress before the UN General Assembly in September.

Speaking at a news conference yesterday in Kuwait with foreign minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Sabah, Mr Kerry said Israeli and Palestinian leaders were committed to reviving peace talks, but agreed that mistrust needed to be overcome, in order to avoid the failures of the past.

“I believe they believe the peace process is bigger than any one day or one moment, or certainly more important to their countries than some of their current political challenges,” he said. “That is why both of them have indicated a seriousness of purpose. I would not be here now if I didn’t have the belief this is possible.”