Israel PM in US for talks on Mideast peace

Monday, May 18, 2009 at 2:16 AM Posted by Beijing News


Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the US on Sunday ahead of his maiden meeting with President Barack Obama amid divisions over Middle East peacemaking and Iran's nuclear ambitions.

The hawkish premier, who wants a "fresh" approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, will unveil in the White House meeting on Monday his long-awaited policy for regional peace focused on countering Iran, aides said.

Contents are still secret but one Netanyahu aide told AFP that differences between Israel and the United States are "more on the outside."

Disagreements have surfaced on several key issues since Netanyahu's right-leaning government was sworn in at the end of March but the two leaders are likely to use the summit to reaffirm the strong ties between the close allies, aide Zalman Shoval said.

They were planned to give a brief press conference after their meeting which will precede intimate lunch together with their wives.

One major cause of friction has been Netanyahu's refusal thusfar to publicly endorse the creation of a Palestinian state, a bedrock principle of US-backed peace efforts in the region.

Obama himself admitted in March that Netanyahu's election and hawkish coalition did not make peacemaking any "easier" and his administration has fired off several sharp public messages towards Israel.

Netanyahu has assigned top priority to halting Iran's nuclear bid.

Obama, however, has pledged to act vigorously to end the decades-old Middle East conflict and sees its resolution as a key component in a comprehensive regional policy for resolving the crisis with the Islamic republic.

Netanyahu is expected to irk his hosts and the Palestinians by telling Obama that Israel will keep building in existing settlements in the occupied West Bank, a key obstacle in the stuttering peace process.

The tone of the Obama administration has raised fears in Israel that Washington may sacrifice the interests of its staunchest ally in its attempt to end the Iranian estrangement.

Despite the friction, Netanyahu hopes to convince Obama of the viability of his new plan which will effectively replace the latest Israeli-Palestinian peace talks launched in Annapolis, near Washington in 2007.

"If we bring forward a new plan, the Americans will not reject it if they feel it can help their policy," a senior Israeli official said.

Israeli and US officials have played down the chances of an open clash following the key summit.

"There will be no surprises at the meeting. There is a strong, natural alliance between the two states and I see no reason for this to change now," a senior Israeli official told AFP en route to Washington.

The 59-year-old premier this month called for a "fresh" approach to the Middle East peace process based on a three-pronged approach including talks, security cooperation and development of the Palestinian economy.

He advocates bolstering the West Bank economy before negotiating a full peace deal, arguing the Palestinians are not ready for independence and that any Israeli concessions will only strengthen radical groups such as Hamas.

"In the Arab world there is agreement with our views of the Iranian danger," Netanyahu added after he met Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman on Thursday.





A participant attends the 17th Life Ball in Vienna. AFP/Joe Klamar

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)