By Jaime Ortega.
U.S. Secretary of State , John Kerry , does not yield to the general skepticism and doubts show by the Israeli and Palestinian leadership. Yesterday in Jerusalem, Kerry was looking forward to an affirmative answer to the framework agreement that should lead to the signing of a new peace treaty.
Kerry today completed the third day of his umpteenth visit after he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After talking for eight hours on Thursday , the diplomat yesterday heard Abu Mazen intended to draft and straighten the negotiating process , numbed a few months after being resumed.
“The Palestinian side did not even look at this piece of worthless paper . ( … ) Restricts Palestinian sovereignty over Palestinian land ,” declares the PLO leader, Yasser Abed Rabbo referring to the point about guaranteed safety that the Israeli military presence in the West Bank of the Jordan Valley border has shown in the past few years.
Speaking to the newspaper Asharq Al Awsat ‘ chief negotiator Saeb Erekat says that after 20 meetings with Israel “differences were not reduced , but increased .”
The document sets the boundaries of Kerry ( as called Abu Mazen) as a negotiating basis and recognition of Israel as a Jewish state ( as Netanyahu demands ).
Kerry began the day meeting with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman. Back at the chancellery after being proven innocent in a corruption trial. Lieberman wants to open a new page with the U.S. and forget his bad relations with Hillary Clinton. Yesterday he praised ” the great efforts of Kerry to get an agreement ,” adding that ” any agreement between Israelis and Palestinians must include a solid foundation for Israel’s security and a stable economy for the Palestinians.”
In a dialogue with American students in Jerusalem , Kerry was sincere : ” I think you can get something important but will be very difficult for Netanyahu and Abu Mazen whom are aware of the consequences of a failure in the talks. ” . If the roadmap does not succeed , the negotiating table will rise again on April 29 , as marking the original term without any agreement .
