(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - U.S. National Security Council senior Middle East adviser Dan Shapiro and David Hale, a top adviser to U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell, met Prime Minister Netanyahu's envoy Yitzhak Molcho in Jerusalem on Monday. One Israeli official explained that while Netanyahu is not opposed to discussing borders, he is unwilling to do so in a vacuum "without first having a clear understanding of security issues, and the character of a future Palestinian state." Netanyahu wants to "first discuss the security map," the official said, adding that it is impossible to discuss the contours of a border without first knowing whether a future Palestinian state "will be demilitarized, and how that will be achieved." It is also necessary first to see whether this state will recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state and whether it will consider that an agreement with Israel will put an end to the conflict, "with no more demands," the official said.
2010-12-23 10:26:56Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive