Region | Palestinian Territories
Israel brushes aside US pressure over statehood deal
Israel sought on Monday to lower US expectations for any deal with the Palestinians this year, brushing aside pressure over settlements.
- Agencies
- Published: 18:12 June 16, 2008
Occupied Jerusalem: Israel sought on Monday to lower US expectations for any deal with the Palestinians this year, brushing aside pressure over settlements.
The United States government is hoping to reach a statehood deal before President George W. Bush steps down in January, officials in the region said.
"The goal is still to reach an agreement with the Palestinians by the end of Bush's term," said Mark Regev, the Israeli prime minister's spokesman.
But Regev added that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert believed it would be "difficult" to reach agreement on the sensitive issue of Occupied Jerusalem in that timeframe.
He said any joint document should instead look at ways of moving forward with negotiations over the Holy City, which the Palestinians want to be the capital of the state they seek.
"You could have an agreed framework--methodology on how to move forward--so [Occupied] Jerusalem would be mentioned but mentioned in the sense of how to move forward," Regev said, adding that Occupied Jerusalem was the most divisive issue facing negotiators.
Commenting on Regev's remarks, Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of the Palestinian negotiating team, said: "There won't be an agreement without [Occupied] Jerusalem. The Israelis know that very well."
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