(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians will likely require more time than the April 29 deadline, U.S. officials acknowledged on Monday. The Americans now view the date they originally set to be "artificial" and suggest that even the framework might need more time, given some important gaps that still remain. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday dismissed as "absurd" the notion that Israel would sign an agreement recognizing a nation-state for the Palestinian people without mutual recognition by the Palestinians of Israel as the nation-state of the Jews. "Now let's see if those same elements in the international community, which until now have placed pressure only on Israel, will make clear to the Palestinians what exactly the ramifications will be for them if there will not be an agreement," Netanyahu said. "Without the Palestinians understanding that they will pay a price for a lack of continuation of the talks, they will prefer not to continue the talks."
2014-02-04 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive