Abbas receives letter from US about peace process

Meeting to be held with PA, Arab League on response to letter, which comes after US abandoned talks with Israel on settlement freeze renewal.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, HERB KEINON
Abbas Fatah Meeting 311 (photo credit: Associated Press)
Abbas Fatah Meeting 311
(photo credit: Associated Press)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas received a letter from the United States regarding peace negotiations, Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudaina was quoted by Qatari news agency QNA as saying. Abbas received the letter during a visit to Athens.
Though details of the letter were not released, the spokesperson said a Palestinian response would not be sent before a consultative meeting is held with the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League.
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On Tuesday night, Abbas and Arab League Chief Amr Moussa held a phone conversation in which they discussed recent US actions and the response that should be undertaken by the Arab League, Abu Rudaina said.
The US announced on Tuesday that it had abandoned efforts to persuade Israel to renew a settlement building moratorium as part of efforts to revive peace talks.
A senior US official announced Tuesday night that, following consultation with between the US and Israel, it was determined that a further settlement moratorium would not provide the basis for a framework agreement.
The official, in a telephone briefing with reporters in Jerusalem, said that “in the days and weeks ahead” the US would engage with the sides, as well as with other countries in the region, about the “core substantive issues.”The official said that Israeli and Palestinian officials would visit Washington in the coming days for discussions. He would not say whether these would be direct talks. He was careful in not placing responsibility for the current stalemate on any one party.
Israel is expected to be represented at the talks by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s envoy Yitzhak Molcho.
The surprise announcement came nearly a month after Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed in principle on a 90-day settlement moratorium extension in exchange for a package of incentives from Washington.
The official said that Israeli and Palestinian officials would visit Washington in the coming days for discussions. He would not say whether these would be direct talks. He was careful in not placing responsibility for the current stalemate on any one party.
Israel is expected to be represented at the talks by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s envoy Yitzhak Molcho.
The surprise announcement came nearly a month after Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed in principle on a 90-day settlement moratorium extension in exchange for a package of incentives from Washington.