(KUNA) -- The United States withdrew its demand that Israel extends the period of freezing settlement construction as a condition for resumption of direct talks with the Paleostinians, Israeli media said on Wednesday.Radio Israel quoted "senior" US sources saying the administration is communicating with both parties, but separately, to decide the next step.
The Israeli premier's Special Envoy to the talks Yitzhak Molkho is to meet B.O. regime representatives within the next few days, it added.
This comes after a US official disclosed on Tuesday that representatives for both sides would head to Washington next week to attempt and resume the talks.
US officials had previously said the US was considering a return to the indirect talks, in view of failure to restore direct-negotiation mode due to dispute over the settlement freeze.
The Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak had stated yesterday that talks with the US over extending the settlement freeze were put to an end, "because the latter is pre-occupied with the WikiLeaks and the North Korea dossiers at present." Haaretz newspaper meanwhile reported the same development on the settlement freeze, and said the "B.O. regime decided conditions weren't ripe for successful negotiations, even with new settlement freeze; instead, they will aim for proximity talks." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
... sometimes described as the Smartest Woman in the World and at other times as Mrs. Bill...
is expected to outline Washington's strategy for Israeli-Paleostinian relations when she addresses the Saban Forum in the US capital on Friday.
The paper reported a political Israeli source saying, a new approach was selected instead of the three-month settlement construction freeze. The two parties are instead seeking a path that would lead to a whole year of negotiations that would in turn aim at reaching a framework agreement, the source said.
Meanwhile,
...back at the ranch...
Paleostinian President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas received a letter from the US while in Athens last night, concerning the talks.
Paleostinian Authority Spokesman Nabil abu Rudaynah said, "The Paleostinian reply to the letter would come only after deliberation with the leadership and with the Arab Group." "President Abbas had meanwhile phoned Arab League Secretary General Jerry Lewis doppelgänger Amr Moussa
... who has been head of the vaporous Arab League since about the time Jerry and Dean split up ...
upon receipt of the letter, to discuss the US stance and the probable next move by the league."