Kerry to discuss peace talks with Abbas in London next week

US secretary of state to meet Netanayhu "in the near future"; Ma'an: Obama is working to convince Abbas to meet with Netanyahu.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
John Kerry meets with Mahmoud Abbas (photo credit: Mandel Ngan / REUTERS)
John Kerry meets with Mahmoud Abbas
(photo credit: Mandel Ngan / REUTERS)
US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in London next week to discuss ongoing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, the US State Department said Thursday.
State Department Spokeswoman Jan Psaki said at a press briefing that Kerry will meet with Arab League representatives on September 8 to discuss the peace process, among other issues, and he will meet with Abbas the following day in London.
PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki told Palestinian media on Tuesday that the Palestinians had been trying to arrange a meeting between Abbas and Kerry to communicate their reservations regarding the peace negotiations with Israel.
The Palestinians are unhappy over what they say are Israel’s repeated attempts to dictate the talks’ agenda, Israel Radio reported. Abbas and his aides are also displeased with what they perceive as US mediator Martin Indyk’s insufficient participation in the negotiations thus far.
The independent Palestinian news agency Ma’an is reporting that US President Barack Obama is working hard to persuade Abbas to meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sometime this month, though this information has not been confirmed by another source.
Reuters quoted a US official as saying Thursday that Kerry would meet Netanyahu "in the near future" but gave no details.