BICOM

It was announced yesterday that US Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Israel next week, with the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Iran’s nuclear programme the two main items on the agenda.

Kerry brokered the resumption of peace talks between Israel and the PA in July, following a three-year hiatus. Israeli and PA negotiators have met on at least 16 occasions since then and although very few public details of the talks have been revealed, tensions have grown between the two sides during the past few weeks, during which at least one of the lead PA negotiators has resigned.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki commented, “Secretary Kerry will meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss a range of issues including Iran and the negotiations with the Palestinians,” he will also travel to Ramallah for talks with PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Psaki added that “the reason we’re so committed to a direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians is because we’re so concerned about Israel’s security.”

Israel’s chief negotiator in the talks, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni yesterday told Israel Radio that substantial progress is being made in the negotiations, but acknowledged that it will require all her “experience and expertise” to bring about a successful conclusion to the talks. Livni also addressed the interim deal concluded in Geneva last weekend between the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) and Iran, saying that Israel must use the coming six months to influence a permanent agreement.

State Department spokeswoman Psaki commented that “Obviously, there remains a distrust with Iran about a range of issues. That hasn’t changed.” She added that Kerry remained in close contact with Israeli leaders throughout the talks in Geneva.