Negotiating Final Status Agreement for Two States
Secretary
of State John Kerry said today that Israeli and Palestinian negotiators would
convene again in the Middle East within two weeks and that their goal would be
to work out a comprehensive peace agreement within nine months. (The New York
Times, 30 July)
Kerry described the talks in Washington on Monday and Tuesday as
constructive, and said they had involved three-way discussions that included
the United States, as well as direct discussions between the Israelis and the
Palestinians.
“The parties have agreed to remain engaged in sustained, continuous and substantive negotiations on the core issues,” said Kerry, who was flanked by Tzipi Livni, Israel’s justice minister, and Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator.
“The parties have agreed to remain engaged in sustained, continuous and substantive negotiations on the core issues,” said Kerry, who was flanked by Tzipi Livni, Israel’s justice minister, and Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator.
“Our objective will be to achieve a final status agreement over the
course of the next nine months,” Mr. Kerry said. “We all understand the goal we
are working towards: two states living side by side in peace and security.”
(The New York Times, 30 July)
Earlier in the day, Mr. Kerry and the Israeli and Palestinian negotiators went to the White House to meet with President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Kerry and the Israeli and Palestinian negotiators went to the White House to meet with President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
Photo credit: John Kerry with chief negotiators Tzipi Livni of Israel
(R) and Saeb Erekat of Palestine. Washington, 30 July 2013. (Reuters)
