Obama Urges Netanyahu to Resume Negotiations with Palestinians

Local Editor

US President Barack Obama on Thursday urged "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume negotiations with the Palestinians "as soon as possible", the White House said.

The two men spoke by telephone as Secretary of State John Kerry made his latest trip to the region as part of marathon efforts to re-launch the so-called peace talks that last collapsed in 2010.

"The president encouraged Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue to work with Secretary Kerry to resume negotiations with the Palestinians as soon as possible," the White House said in a statement.

The White House said the two leaders also discussed "recent developments in Egypt, Iran and Syria," without providing further details.
"They affirmed the importance of continued close coordination between the United States and Israel on a range of security issues," it said.
On his sixth trip to the region in as many months, Kerry was struggling to finalize a blueprint for resumed talks.

A US official had earlier warned that Kerry was unlikely to be able to announce a breakthrough in his efforts despite extending until Friday his latest round of shuttle diplomacy.

After two separate meetings, Palestinian officials said they decided to send top negotiator Saeb Erekat to meet with Kerry "and inform him that Palestinians want guarantees regarding the general border," said Wasel Abu Yussef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee, who was in the meeting.

"Saeb will also say the Palestinian leadership sought more clarifications on Kerry's proposal in relation to the issues of prisoners and settlements," he added.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team