WarSclerotic

Report: US wants borders set in 3 months – Israel News, Ynetnews.

London-based Arabic-language paper al-Sharq al-Awsat says Washington hopes to overcome obstacle of settlement freeze: suggests Israel prolongs freeze by three months during which borders issue will be resolved

Roee Nahmias

Washington is trying to circumvent the obstacle posed by the settlement freeze in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, and has devised a compromise which will allow the sides to make progress on other issues.

The London-based Arabic-language al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported Thursday that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has suggested a compromised according to which Israel will prolong the settlement freeze by three months and the time period wil be used by both parties to reach an agreement on the border issues.

According to the report, once new borders are set, Israel will be able to resume its settlement activity in the areas remaining under its control; and will cease all activities in areas it is expected to withdraw from.

Al-Sharq al-Awsat said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has accepted the offer, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to give his answer.

American sources close to Clinton’s delegation said they believed this offer had the best chances of preventing a deadlock in the talks.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has already threatened to walk away from the negotiating table should Israel resume its settlement activity, when the current freeze ends, on September 26.

Abbas’ statement reportedly followed a previous one by Netanyahu, saying settlement activity will resume as planned.

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