Israel limits contact with Palestinians as talks falter
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered ministers to limit contact with their Palestinian counterparts as the Arab League blamed his government Wednesday for the ‘ dangerous stalemate’ in US-brokered peace talks.
The moves came a day after US Secretary of State John Kerry, who kick-started the talks in July after a nearly three-year hiatus, blamed Israel for derailing the process by announcing new settlement construction.
“In response to the Palestinian violation of their commitments under peace talks... Israel government ministers have been told to refrain from meeting their Palestinian counterparts,” an Israeli official told AFP.
Palestinian labour minister Ahmad Majdalani downplayed the significance of the move.
“There are no (regular) meetings organised between Palestinian and Israeli ministers, apart from the finance ministers,” he told AFP.
A Palestinian government source told AFP the Israelis might move to block tax revenue collected by Israel on the Palestinian Authority’s behalf.
And an Israeli official confirmed that the government “envisaged withholding part of the amounts remitted... each month in reaction to the unilateral Palestinian moves.”
The official added that the ‘important sums’ given to Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and to their families each month by the PA is a “form of supporting terrorism.”
“We envisage holding back the equivalent of that” unspecified amount, the source said.
Approximately 5,000 Palestinians are held in Israeli jails.
The PA pays prisoners a monthly “salary” that runs from 400 (290 euros) for those serving less than three years to more than 3,000 for sentences above 30 years.
Israel briefly withheld tax revenues in December 2012 to punish the Palestinians for their successful drive for observer state status at the United Nations.
Washington denounced Netanyahu’s order as ‘unfortunate’.
“We believe that cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority has provided benefits to both sides,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
“We continue to urge both sides to take steps that contribute to a conducive environment for peace.”
Arab foreign ministers gathered in Cairo with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Israel was “wholly responsible for the dangerous stalemate” in the US-brokered talks which are scheduled to wrap up on April 29.
Arab League chief Nabil alArabi accused Israel of dragging its feet, telling reporters: “Gaining time is a strategic objective for Israel.” — AFP