Post by Paddy by Grace on Mar 24, 2010 14:45:20 GMT -7
Chatham House rules: Mayor says Jerusalem should be capital of world
www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?ID=171705
Spokesman says US believes Israeli construction in Jerusalem is destructive to ME peace; PM to meet with Mitchell; Israeli aide: S. Jarrah housing project announcement "caught PM off guard."
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was scheduled to hold an additional round of talks with special Mideast envoy George Mitchell later on Wednesday in Washington, as the two sides continued their efforts to resolve their recent diplomatic row.
The White House said it is seeking clarification of Israel's plans to build 20 new apartments in east Jerusalem.
White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said on Wednesday the White House continues to believe that Israeli building in Jerusalem is destructive to the Middle East peace process. He said the United States is urging both Israelis and Palestinians to refrain from acts that could undermine trust as the Obama administration looks to jump-start the stalled peace process.
Vietor would not say whether US President Barack Obama and Netanyahu discussed the specific building project in their meetings at the White House late Tuesday.
After the publication of another east Jerusalem building permit threatened to further deepen US-Israel tensions, an aide to Netanyahu insisted that the premier did not know about the move in advance.
The aide, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the press, said that Netanyahu was caught off.guard by the announcement, made minutes before his White House meeting with Obama on Tuesday night.
The building permit reportedly issued by the Jerusalem Municipality for the construction of 20 Jewish homes on Sheikh Jarrah Street in east Jerusalem last week drew fierce condemnations from Peace Now, while others accused the Left of playing up news of the already-issued permits in order to torpedo Netanyahu's visit to Washington.
Related Articles:
Before Obama talks, PM defends J’lem building
Editorial: Redirect the pressure
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Obama, Netanyahu to meet at White House
Op-ed: Hillary Clinton's unfortunate mistake
Obama and Netanyahu met in an unusual pair of low-profile meetings, which, according to the Prime Minister's Office, were "conducted in a good atmosphere."
In a break with custom that seemed linked to the crisis complicating US-Israeli relations, reporters were not invited to see them shake hands and begin their talks. It is highly unusual for a visiting ally not to be seen with the president, either for photographs or statements.
Obama and Netanyahu initially conferred for about 90 minutes in the Oval Office — a half-hour longer than scheduled. After that meeting, Obama retired to the residence while Netanyahu stayed behind in the White House to consult with his staff in the Roosevelt Room, a White House official said late Tuesday.
Netanyahu then asked for a second meeting with Obama, who came back downstairs to the Oval Office for another 35 minutes of talks with the prime minister, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Although they met for a total of two hours, the White House did not issue a formal statement on what was discussed in either meeting, another break with custom.
In its brief statement Wednesday morning, the PMO said that after the meetings, the two leaders' teams of advisers “continued to discuss the ideas that were raised,” and that the joint discussions would continue on Wednesday.
www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?ID=171705
Spokesman says US believes Israeli construction in Jerusalem is destructive to ME peace; PM to meet with Mitchell; Israeli aide: S. Jarrah housing project announcement "caught PM off guard."
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was scheduled to hold an additional round of talks with special Mideast envoy George Mitchell later on Wednesday in Washington, as the two sides continued their efforts to resolve their recent diplomatic row.
The White House said it is seeking clarification of Israel's plans to build 20 new apartments in east Jerusalem.
White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said on Wednesday the White House continues to believe that Israeli building in Jerusalem is destructive to the Middle East peace process. He said the United States is urging both Israelis and Palestinians to refrain from acts that could undermine trust as the Obama administration looks to jump-start the stalled peace process.
Vietor would not say whether US President Barack Obama and Netanyahu discussed the specific building project in their meetings at the White House late Tuesday.
After the publication of another east Jerusalem building permit threatened to further deepen US-Israel tensions, an aide to Netanyahu insisted that the premier did not know about the move in advance.
The aide, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the press, said that Netanyahu was caught off.guard by the announcement, made minutes before his White House meeting with Obama on Tuesday night.
The building permit reportedly issued by the Jerusalem Municipality for the construction of 20 Jewish homes on Sheikh Jarrah Street in east Jerusalem last week drew fierce condemnations from Peace Now, while others accused the Left of playing up news of the already-issued permits in order to torpedo Netanyahu's visit to Washington.
Related Articles:
Before Obama talks, PM defends J’lem building
Editorial: Redirect the pressure
Letters: Speaking up for Israel
Obama, Netanyahu to meet at White House
Op-ed: Hillary Clinton's unfortunate mistake
Obama and Netanyahu met in an unusual pair of low-profile meetings, which, according to the Prime Minister's Office, were "conducted in a good atmosphere."
In a break with custom that seemed linked to the crisis complicating US-Israeli relations, reporters were not invited to see them shake hands and begin their talks. It is highly unusual for a visiting ally not to be seen with the president, either for photographs or statements.
Obama and Netanyahu initially conferred for about 90 minutes in the Oval Office — a half-hour longer than scheduled. After that meeting, Obama retired to the residence while Netanyahu stayed behind in the White House to consult with his staff in the Roosevelt Room, a White House official said late Tuesday.
Netanyahu then asked for a second meeting with Obama, who came back downstairs to the Oval Office for another 35 minutes of talks with the prime minister, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Although they met for a total of two hours, the White House did not issue a formal statement on what was discussed in either meeting, another break with custom.
In its brief statement Wednesday morning, the PMO said that after the meetings, the two leaders' teams of advisers “continued to discuss the ideas that were raised,” and that the joint discussions would continue on Wednesday.