The Obama administration is backing a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas meet every two weeks during peace talks.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated privately and publicly that he hopes to meet with President Abbas every two weeks,” George Mitchell, the senior administration official brokering talks, said in a briefing Aug. 31, two days before the formal start of direct talks. “We think that is a sensible approach.”
Abbas has not yet said whether he will commit to such intensive talks. Netanyahu and Abbas were to meet Sept. 2 for their first direct meeting brokered by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Mitchell said the United States planned to be “actively involved” in the process but would not be present at every meeting. — jta