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U.S. Pushing Netanyahu to Accept Demands

(Washington Post) Glenn Kessler - The Obama administration is pressing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to reverse last week's approval of 1,600 housing units in a disputed area of Jerusalem, make a substantial gesture toward the Palestinians, and publicly declare that all of the "core issues" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the status of Jerusalem, be included in upcoming talks, U.S. officials said. "If he is unwilling to make that kind of commitment, it raises the questions of how committed he is to negotiations - and it raises the question of how committed he is to the relationship between Israel and the United States," a senior U.S. official said. The official said the Obama administration views the success of the Middle East peace talks as central to the national security interests of the U.S. and that any failure by Netanyahu to fully embrace the talks would be viewed negatively. Israeli officials say it is unclear if Netanyahu had the legal authority to reverse the recent decision. The housing announcement was made by a regional planning committee. "It is almost as if President Obama were held accountable for a housing project approved by Fairfax County," said George Birnbaum, former chief of staff for the prime minister.
2010-03-16 09:15:10
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