The European Union is drawing up a detailed new plan to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, and expects to present it after this month's Israeli general election, Yediot Aharonot reported Sunday.
Citing diplomatic sources in Jerusalem, Israel's top-selling daily said the plan was intended to "bring about the establishment of a Palestinian state on the basis of the 1967 lines with east Jerusalem as its capital."
The plan will include "clear timetables for the completion of the negotiations on all the core issues in the course of 2013."
| Timetables being the preferred way to hammer the Israelis, since they are the ones who are supposed to cave whenever the negotiations reach the 'last minute'... |
The newspaper said the plan is expected to be presented around March, to give time for the formation of a new Israeli government after the general election on January 22.
The newspaper said the plan "apparently will also include a demand to freeze all construction in the settlements."
| Any demands on the Paleos? Like for example a freeze on importing Fajr rockets? |
The report said the British and French foreign ministries are sponsoring the initiative, which is also backed by Germany and could be adopted by the full EU.
"There's a lot in the works behind the scenes," the newspaper quoted high-ranking Israeli political officials as saying.
"The Europeans don't have the capability to force an agreement on us, but they definitely may embarrass themselves us," they added. "It is reasonable to assume that the Palestinians will accept a document of that sort, but Israel will be hard put to do so. That's going to paint us into a corner." |