JEREMIAH 8:11
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
ISAIAH 33:8
8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS HIMSELF GOD)
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
GENESIS 25:20-26
20 And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)
ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
Israel, Palestinians, US to meet to revive talks-First meeting since Wednesday, to be held without Kerry, comes as Washington reviews its bid for a peace deal-By AFP April 5, 2014, 10:50 am 8-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
JERUSALEM — Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will meet jointly Sunday with US envoy Martin Indyk, as attempts continue to prevent the collapse of peace negotiations, officials close to the talks said.The first three-way meeting since Wednesday comes as Washington reviews its push for a peace deal after a spiral of tit-for-tat moves by Israel and the Palestinians took hard-won negotiations close to collapse.US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday there were “limits” to the time and energy Washington could devote to the process, adding it was time for a “reality check.”The same day Indyk met separately with chief Israeli negotiator, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, and her Palestinian counterpart, Saeb Erakat.Kerry, who has engaged in more than a year of intensive shuttle diplomacy, had spoken to both the Israeli and Palestinian leaders Thursday in a bid to bring the two sides back from the brink.But Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas rejected his appeals to withdraw applications he signed on Tuesday to adhere to 15 international treaties, a Palestinian official said.And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignored appeals to refrain from “unhelpful” tit-for-tat moves, asking officials to draw up a range of tough reprisals, Israeli media reported.Israel says Abbas’s move is a clear breach of promises made by the Palestinians when peace talks were relaunched in July to pursue no other avenues for recognition of their promised state.The Palestinians say Israel had already reneged on its own commitments by failing to release a fourth and final batch of Arab prisoners last weekend, and that the treaty move was their response.
Is Kerry’s Mideast ‘mission impossible’ over?-After sobering 12th trip to the region, US envoy’s gamble to achieve the dream of generations may be trumped-By JO BIDDLE April 5, 2014, 2:30 pm 1-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
WASHINGTON (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry’s high-stakes gamble that he could finally achieve the dream of generations and bring peace to the Middle East seems to be collapsing as easily as a house of cards.Despite a dozen visits to Israel and the West Bank since he became US secretary of state 14 months ago and many more late-night meetings with his recalcitrant partners in capitals around the world, it appears after all that he may have been trumped.While there was always a certain hubris to his mission impossible, the political dangers facing wily Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conspired this week with decades of pent-up anger among Palestinians to throw up the most serious crisis to the fragile peace negotiations since they resumed in July.Yet at the start of Kerry’s latest overseas trip, there was little to suggest he would return to the US 13 days later with his peace effort in trouble and a blunt admission that he and the White House needed to “evaluate” the next steps.Indeed, Kerry had not visited Israel in three months in a tacit recognition that each trip raised expectations and usually triggered some kind of provocative move from one of the parties.His monthly commute between Washington and Jerusalem had also begun to raise eyebrows with little tangible progress to show and an April 29 deadline looming.Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon had called Kerry “obsessive” and “messianic;” at home, some critics said he was “delusional.” All roads to Jerusalem are littered with past failed peace negotiations which have wound through places such as Madrid, Oslo and Camp David.But this time Kerry felt there was something within his grasp, a deal under which both sides would agree to keep talking into next year, as some of the nitty-gritty contours of a pact began to emerge.He deeply believes that a comprehensive peace treaty is the only way to secure Israel’s future and build a better tomorrow for Palestinians, with both peoples having suffered too much.So the 70-year-old former senator, the son of a diplomat, stepped willingly into the quagmire that is Middle East peace.He has invested huge amounts of energy, setting a punishing schedule which would defeat many half his age and remaining eternally optimistic and unflappable even after hours locked in tense negotiations.It was sobering therefore on Friday as he prepared to head home — after the Israelis canceled the last prisoner releases and the Palestinians said they would seek statehood at 15 agencies at the UN — that in a rare moment of frankness and frustration he admitted “it’s reality-check time.”“There are limits to the amount of time and effort that the United States can spend if the parties themselves are unwilling to take constructive steps in order to be able to move forward,” Kerry told reporters in Rabat.With the war in Syria, Iran’s nuclear program and the crisis in Ukraine, “we have an enormous amount on the plate,” he said.
No one walking away yet
Exactly what Kerry’s next move will be remains uncertain, and he has insisted that the negotiators remain at work on the ground.But it’s more than possible that he’ll give both sides a little space to figure out what they want to do, as he huddles with the White House.There will be another three-way meeting likely on Sunday in the region to assess the way forward, officials close to the talks say, and the US insists the negotiations are not dead.Only a few months ago, Kerry’s stock had been rising with his brand of face-to-face diplomacy winning praise.He had helped kick-start the peace talks after a three-year gap, sealed a deal with Russia to rid Syria of its chemical weapons, and negotiations with Iran over its suspect nuclear program had made the first progress in a decade.Now critics will be sharpening their pencils in glee.But he has three more years in office, and almost boundless patience.The White House Friday defended the “tireless” Kerry, saying his long-odds Middle East peace bid had not been a waste of time because the stakes were so high.But Josh Earnest, a White House spokesman, admitted that the chances of Kerry succeeding when he embarked on his Middle East peace quest a year ago had never been high.“I don’t know if people in Las Vegas are betting on these kinds of things these days, but I’m sure the odds… would be very long.”
Erekat: We Have Nothing to Lose-Chief PA negotiator declares that there are dozens of other institutions the PA could join if Israel fails to live up to its commitments.-By Elad Benari, Canada-First Publish: 4/4/2014, 9:31 PM-ISRAELNATIONALNEWS
The chief Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiator said on Friday that the PA had nothing to lose by requesting to join international agencies.In fact, said Saeb Erekat, according to The Associated Press (AP), there are dozens of other institutions the PA could join if Israel fails to live up to its commitments."We signed 15 (conventions), but there are still 48 treaties, conventions and agencies that we have not signed yet," Erekat told journalists after meeting with American mediator Martin Indyk."If the Israelis release the 30 prisoners, we are committed not to join these agencies, treaties and conventions, but if they (the Israelis) don't, we have a free hand," he declared, according to AP."We don't have anything to lose," Erekat said, but suggested there's still a chance to salvage the negotiations.He made clear that the PA did not want to see U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's peace mission fail."The focus now is really, we want to avoid the crash (of the talks), we don't want to undermine the American efforts," said Erekat, adding that the PA’s next move depends on Israel.Erekat was speaking hours after Kerry said he would "evaluate" his next steps regarding the peace talks.I will be having conversations with the administration today, including the president, and we're going to evaluate exactly what is possible and what is not possible," he said."There are limits to the amount of time and effort that the United States can spend if the parties themselves are unwilling to take constructive steps," said Kerry, who added, "Both parties say they want to continue, neither party has said they want to call it off; but we're not going to sit there indefinitely, this is not an open-ended effort.”Kerry admitted on Thursday that there was little he could do to save the talks, saying "you can facilitate, you can push, you can nudge, but the parties themselves have to make fundamental decisions to compromise."Israel officially cancelled the fourth planned release of terrorists it had undertook to release as “gesture” to the PA, after the PA violated the conditions of the peace talks by unilaterally turning to the United Nations.The PA’s UN envoy has claimed that the PA is eligible to join up to 550 international treaties and conventions, including the International Criminal Court.(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
PA: We Didn't Mean to Upset Kerry-Senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath tries to do damage control after Kerry says he will "evaluate" his next steps.-By Elad Benari, Canada -First Publish: 4/4/2014, 8:26 PM-ISRAELNATIONALNEWS
The Palestinian Authority (PA) tried to do some damage control on Friday, after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he would "evaluate" his next steps regarding the peace talks.Senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath said Friday evening, according to Channel 2 News, that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas “did not mean to upset Kerry” when he breached the conditions of the peace talks by applying to 15 UN agencies.Shaath said that the UN move was aimed against Israel and not against the Americans.“The Palestinian appeal to international institutions was meant to highlight Israel's failure to release the security prisoners," he said, adding that he believed Kerry will return to the region and continue his efforts to reach a peace agreement.“I believe that Kerry will be back because he has not yet abandoned the process," Shaath explained, adding, “We will continue negotiations as agreed and I hope the patience of Americans will end towards the Israelis, not towards the Palestinians.”Earlier Friday, Kerry declared he would be speaking with President Barack Obama about the future of the talks."I will be having conversations with the administration today, including the president, and we're going to evaluate exactly what is possible and what is not possible," he said."There are limits to the amount of time and effort that the United States can spend if the parties themselves are unwilling to take constructive steps," said Kerry, who added, "Both parties say they want to continue, neither party has said they want to call it off; but we're not going to sit there indefinitely, this is not an open-ended effort.”Kerry admitted on Thursday that there was little he could do to save the talks, saying "you can facilitate, you can push, you can nudge, but the parties themselves have to make fundamental decisions to compromise."Senior U.S. officials close to Kerry said Friday that he may give up on the peace talks soon, warning he has to "go out and own the failure," or risk "looking desperate."(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
Kerry warns U.S. is evaluating role in Middle East peace talks
By Lesley Wroughton 10 hours ago-APR 5,14-Yahoonews
RABAT (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that Washington was evaluating whether it was worth continuing its role in Middle East peace talks, signaling his patience with the Israelis and Palestinians was running out.There was a limit to U.S. efforts if the parties themselves were unwilling to move forward, Kerry said during a visit to Morocco after a week of setbacks."This is not an open-ended effort, it never has been. It is reality check time, and we intend to evaluate precisely what the next steps will be," Kerry said, adding he would return to Washington on Friday to consult with the Obama administration.Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are likely to meet on Sunday, together with U.S. envoy Martin Indyk, to discuss a possible way forward, a source familiar with the talks said.White House spokesman Josh Earnest acknowledged that President Barack Obama shared Kerry's frustration over "unhelpful" actions by both sides and the two men would discuss the path forward in the eight-month-old talks after the secretary of state's return to Washington.Kerry's decision to declare a time-out could be an attempt to pressure Israel and the Palestinians to soften their entrenched positions but, should that fail, it might mark the beginning of the end for his signature diplomatic initiative.By stepping away for now, Kerry is reminding the parties that he can ill-afford to focus endlessly on a fruitless Middle East peace process when other pressing international issues like the crisis in Ukraine demand more of this attention.Abandoning the peace effort, however, also has its risks. It could deal another blow to Obama's credibility in the Middle East, where he already faces criticism for a tepid response to Syria's civil war and to the military's takeover in Egypt."There's tremendous upheaval in the region and internationally right now. Do you want to add to it?" asked Dennis Ross, Obama's former top Middle East adviser. "We don't need to see something we've been investing in collapse."
'UNILATERAL STEPS'
The current phase of the Middle East peace process is not over, and it has broken down due to "unilateral steps" by both sides, Earnest said."It's time for the Israeli leaders and the leaders of the Palestinian people to spend some time considering their options at this point," he told reporters.The negotiations were catapulted into crisis at the weekend when Israel refused to act on a previously agreed release of Palestinian prisoners unless it had assurances the Palestinians would continue talks beyond an initial end-April deadline.Kerry flew to Jerusalem to try to find a solution. Just as he believed a convoluted deal was within reach, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed 15 international treaties, making clear he was ready to beat a unilateral path to world bodies unless he saw more movement from the Israelis.A senior Palestinian official, Nabil Shaath, told Reuters that Abbas had not intended to upset Kerry, but rather to shine a spotlight on Israel's failure to release the prisoners."I think (Kerry) will return because we have not abandoned the process," said the veteran negotiator, speaking in Ramallah, the Palestinians' administrative capital in the West Bank.
"We will continue these negotiations as we agreed, and I wish for once that America's patience runs out - with Israel and not the Palestinians," he said.
STRUGGLE
With each side looking to blame the other for the impasse, Israel's centrist finance minister, Yair Lapid, said he questioned whether Abbas wanted a deal, pointing to a lengthy list of Palestinian demands published on Maan news agency.These included lifting a blockade on the Gaza Strip, and freeing a group of high-profile prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti, jailed a decade ago over a spate of suicide bombings."(Abbas) should know that at this point in time his demands are working against him. No Israeli will negotiate with him at any price," said Lapid, one of the more moderate voices within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rightist coalition.Kerry has spent much of his first year as America's top diplomat invested in the Middle East peace process, and has visited the region more than a dozen times.He broke off twice from his current 12-day trip in Europe and the Middle East to see Israeli and Palestinian leaders in an effort to salvage the peace negotiations.The talks have struggled from the start, stalling over Palestinian opposition to Israel's demand that it be recognized as a Jewish state, and over the issue of fast-growing Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.Palestinians want an independent state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem - lands captured by Israel in the 1967 war. While all parties say negotiations are the best path to peace, Palestinians say they may eventually resort to international bodies to force Israel to make concessions.(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Steve Holland and Matt Spetalnick in Washington and Noah Browning in Ramallah; Writing by Patrick Markey, Crispian Balmer and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Tom Heneghan, Jason Szep and Mohammad Zargham)
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
ISAIAH 33:8
8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS HIMSELF GOD)
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
GENESIS 25:20-26
20 And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)
ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
Israel, Palestinians, US to meet to revive talks-First meeting since Wednesday, to be held without Kerry, comes as Washington reviews its bid for a peace deal-By AFP April 5, 2014, 10:50 am 8-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
JERUSALEM — Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will meet jointly Sunday with US envoy Martin Indyk, as attempts continue to prevent the collapse of peace negotiations, officials close to the talks said.The first three-way meeting since Wednesday comes as Washington reviews its push for a peace deal after a spiral of tit-for-tat moves by Israel and the Palestinians took hard-won negotiations close to collapse.US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday there were “limits” to the time and energy Washington could devote to the process, adding it was time for a “reality check.”The same day Indyk met separately with chief Israeli negotiator, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, and her Palestinian counterpart, Saeb Erakat.Kerry, who has engaged in more than a year of intensive shuttle diplomacy, had spoken to both the Israeli and Palestinian leaders Thursday in a bid to bring the two sides back from the brink.But Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas rejected his appeals to withdraw applications he signed on Tuesday to adhere to 15 international treaties, a Palestinian official said.And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignored appeals to refrain from “unhelpful” tit-for-tat moves, asking officials to draw up a range of tough reprisals, Israeli media reported.Israel says Abbas’s move is a clear breach of promises made by the Palestinians when peace talks were relaunched in July to pursue no other avenues for recognition of their promised state.The Palestinians say Israel had already reneged on its own commitments by failing to release a fourth and final batch of Arab prisoners last weekend, and that the treaty move was their response.
Is Kerry’s Mideast ‘mission impossible’ over?-After sobering 12th trip to the region, US envoy’s gamble to achieve the dream of generations may be trumped-By JO BIDDLE April 5, 2014, 2:30 pm 1-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
WASHINGTON (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry’s high-stakes gamble that he could finally achieve the dream of generations and bring peace to the Middle East seems to be collapsing as easily as a house of cards.Despite a dozen visits to Israel and the West Bank since he became US secretary of state 14 months ago and many more late-night meetings with his recalcitrant partners in capitals around the world, it appears after all that he may have been trumped.While there was always a certain hubris to his mission impossible, the political dangers facing wily Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conspired this week with decades of pent-up anger among Palestinians to throw up the most serious crisis to the fragile peace negotiations since they resumed in July.Yet at the start of Kerry’s latest overseas trip, there was little to suggest he would return to the US 13 days later with his peace effort in trouble and a blunt admission that he and the White House needed to “evaluate” the next steps.Indeed, Kerry had not visited Israel in three months in a tacit recognition that each trip raised expectations and usually triggered some kind of provocative move from one of the parties.His monthly commute between Washington and Jerusalem had also begun to raise eyebrows with little tangible progress to show and an April 29 deadline looming.Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon had called Kerry “obsessive” and “messianic;” at home, some critics said he was “delusional.” All roads to Jerusalem are littered with past failed peace negotiations which have wound through places such as Madrid, Oslo and Camp David.But this time Kerry felt there was something within his grasp, a deal under which both sides would agree to keep talking into next year, as some of the nitty-gritty contours of a pact began to emerge.He deeply believes that a comprehensive peace treaty is the only way to secure Israel’s future and build a better tomorrow for Palestinians, with both peoples having suffered too much.So the 70-year-old former senator, the son of a diplomat, stepped willingly into the quagmire that is Middle East peace.He has invested huge amounts of energy, setting a punishing schedule which would defeat many half his age and remaining eternally optimistic and unflappable even after hours locked in tense negotiations.It was sobering therefore on Friday as he prepared to head home — after the Israelis canceled the last prisoner releases and the Palestinians said they would seek statehood at 15 agencies at the UN — that in a rare moment of frankness and frustration he admitted “it’s reality-check time.”“There are limits to the amount of time and effort that the United States can spend if the parties themselves are unwilling to take constructive steps in order to be able to move forward,” Kerry told reporters in Rabat.With the war in Syria, Iran’s nuclear program and the crisis in Ukraine, “we have an enormous amount on the plate,” he said.
No one walking away yet
Exactly what Kerry’s next move will be remains uncertain, and he has insisted that the negotiators remain at work on the ground.But it’s more than possible that he’ll give both sides a little space to figure out what they want to do, as he huddles with the White House.There will be another three-way meeting likely on Sunday in the region to assess the way forward, officials close to the talks say, and the US insists the negotiations are not dead.Only a few months ago, Kerry’s stock had been rising with his brand of face-to-face diplomacy winning praise.He had helped kick-start the peace talks after a three-year gap, sealed a deal with Russia to rid Syria of its chemical weapons, and negotiations with Iran over its suspect nuclear program had made the first progress in a decade.Now critics will be sharpening their pencils in glee.But he has three more years in office, and almost boundless patience.The White House Friday defended the “tireless” Kerry, saying his long-odds Middle East peace bid had not been a waste of time because the stakes were so high.But Josh Earnest, a White House spokesman, admitted that the chances of Kerry succeeding when he embarked on his Middle East peace quest a year ago had never been high.“I don’t know if people in Las Vegas are betting on these kinds of things these days, but I’m sure the odds… would be very long.”
Erekat: We Have Nothing to Lose-Chief PA negotiator declares that there are dozens of other institutions the PA could join if Israel fails to live up to its commitments.-By Elad Benari, Canada-First Publish: 4/4/2014, 9:31 PM-ISRAELNATIONALNEWS
The chief Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiator said on Friday that the PA had nothing to lose by requesting to join international agencies.In fact, said Saeb Erekat, according to The Associated Press (AP), there are dozens of other institutions the PA could join if Israel fails to live up to its commitments."We signed 15 (conventions), but there are still 48 treaties, conventions and agencies that we have not signed yet," Erekat told journalists after meeting with American mediator Martin Indyk."If the Israelis release the 30 prisoners, we are committed not to join these agencies, treaties and conventions, but if they (the Israelis) don't, we have a free hand," he declared, according to AP."We don't have anything to lose," Erekat said, but suggested there's still a chance to salvage the negotiations.He made clear that the PA did not want to see U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's peace mission fail."The focus now is really, we want to avoid the crash (of the talks), we don't want to undermine the American efforts," said Erekat, adding that the PA’s next move depends on Israel.Erekat was speaking hours after Kerry said he would "evaluate" his next steps regarding the peace talks.I will be having conversations with the administration today, including the president, and we're going to evaluate exactly what is possible and what is not possible," he said."There are limits to the amount of time and effort that the United States can spend if the parties themselves are unwilling to take constructive steps," said Kerry, who added, "Both parties say they want to continue, neither party has said they want to call it off; but we're not going to sit there indefinitely, this is not an open-ended effort.”Kerry admitted on Thursday that there was little he could do to save the talks, saying "you can facilitate, you can push, you can nudge, but the parties themselves have to make fundamental decisions to compromise."Israel officially cancelled the fourth planned release of terrorists it had undertook to release as “gesture” to the PA, after the PA violated the conditions of the peace talks by unilaterally turning to the United Nations.The PA’s UN envoy has claimed that the PA is eligible to join up to 550 international treaties and conventions, including the International Criminal Court.(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
PA: We Didn't Mean to Upset Kerry-Senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath tries to do damage control after Kerry says he will "evaluate" his next steps.-By Elad Benari, Canada -First Publish: 4/4/2014, 8:26 PM-ISRAELNATIONALNEWS
The Palestinian Authority (PA) tried to do some damage control on Friday, after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he would "evaluate" his next steps regarding the peace talks.Senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath said Friday evening, according to Channel 2 News, that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas “did not mean to upset Kerry” when he breached the conditions of the peace talks by applying to 15 UN agencies.Shaath said that the UN move was aimed against Israel and not against the Americans.“The Palestinian appeal to international institutions was meant to highlight Israel's failure to release the security prisoners," he said, adding that he believed Kerry will return to the region and continue his efforts to reach a peace agreement.“I believe that Kerry will be back because he has not yet abandoned the process," Shaath explained, adding, “We will continue negotiations as agreed and I hope the patience of Americans will end towards the Israelis, not towards the Palestinians.”Earlier Friday, Kerry declared he would be speaking with President Barack Obama about the future of the talks."I will be having conversations with the administration today, including the president, and we're going to evaluate exactly what is possible and what is not possible," he said."There are limits to the amount of time and effort that the United States can spend if the parties themselves are unwilling to take constructive steps," said Kerry, who added, "Both parties say they want to continue, neither party has said they want to call it off; but we're not going to sit there indefinitely, this is not an open-ended effort.”Kerry admitted on Thursday that there was little he could do to save the talks, saying "you can facilitate, you can push, you can nudge, but the parties themselves have to make fundamental decisions to compromise."Senior U.S. officials close to Kerry said Friday that he may give up on the peace talks soon, warning he has to "go out and own the failure," or risk "looking desperate."(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
Kerry warns U.S. is evaluating role in Middle East peace talks
By Lesley Wroughton 10 hours ago-APR 5,14-Yahoonews
RABAT (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that Washington was evaluating whether it was worth continuing its role in Middle East peace talks, signaling his patience with the Israelis and Palestinians was running out.There was a limit to U.S. efforts if the parties themselves were unwilling to move forward, Kerry said during a visit to Morocco after a week of setbacks."This is not an open-ended effort, it never has been. It is reality check time, and we intend to evaluate precisely what the next steps will be," Kerry said, adding he would return to Washington on Friday to consult with the Obama administration.Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are likely to meet on Sunday, together with U.S. envoy Martin Indyk, to discuss a possible way forward, a source familiar with the talks said.White House spokesman Josh Earnest acknowledged that President Barack Obama shared Kerry's frustration over "unhelpful" actions by both sides and the two men would discuss the path forward in the eight-month-old talks after the secretary of state's return to Washington.Kerry's decision to declare a time-out could be an attempt to pressure Israel and the Palestinians to soften their entrenched positions but, should that fail, it might mark the beginning of the end for his signature diplomatic initiative.By stepping away for now, Kerry is reminding the parties that he can ill-afford to focus endlessly on a fruitless Middle East peace process when other pressing international issues like the crisis in Ukraine demand more of this attention.Abandoning the peace effort, however, also has its risks. It could deal another blow to Obama's credibility in the Middle East, where he already faces criticism for a tepid response to Syria's civil war and to the military's takeover in Egypt."There's tremendous upheaval in the region and internationally right now. Do you want to add to it?" asked Dennis Ross, Obama's former top Middle East adviser. "We don't need to see something we've been investing in collapse."
'UNILATERAL STEPS'
The current phase of the Middle East peace process is not over, and it has broken down due to "unilateral steps" by both sides, Earnest said."It's time for the Israeli leaders and the leaders of the Palestinian people to spend some time considering their options at this point," he told reporters.The negotiations were catapulted into crisis at the weekend when Israel refused to act on a previously agreed release of Palestinian prisoners unless it had assurances the Palestinians would continue talks beyond an initial end-April deadline.Kerry flew to Jerusalem to try to find a solution. Just as he believed a convoluted deal was within reach, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed 15 international treaties, making clear he was ready to beat a unilateral path to world bodies unless he saw more movement from the Israelis.A senior Palestinian official, Nabil Shaath, told Reuters that Abbas had not intended to upset Kerry, but rather to shine a spotlight on Israel's failure to release the prisoners."I think (Kerry) will return because we have not abandoned the process," said the veteran negotiator, speaking in Ramallah, the Palestinians' administrative capital in the West Bank.
"We will continue these negotiations as we agreed, and I wish for once that America's patience runs out - with Israel and not the Palestinians," he said.
STRUGGLE
With each side looking to blame the other for the impasse, Israel's centrist finance minister, Yair Lapid, said he questioned whether Abbas wanted a deal, pointing to a lengthy list of Palestinian demands published on Maan news agency.These included lifting a blockade on the Gaza Strip, and freeing a group of high-profile prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti, jailed a decade ago over a spate of suicide bombings."(Abbas) should know that at this point in time his demands are working against him. No Israeli will negotiate with him at any price," said Lapid, one of the more moderate voices within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rightist coalition.Kerry has spent much of his first year as America's top diplomat invested in the Middle East peace process, and has visited the region more than a dozen times.He broke off twice from his current 12-day trip in Europe and the Middle East to see Israeli and Palestinian leaders in an effort to salvage the peace negotiations.The talks have struggled from the start, stalling over Palestinian opposition to Israel's demand that it be recognized as a Jewish state, and over the issue of fast-growing Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.Palestinians want an independent state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem - lands captured by Israel in the 1967 war. While all parties say negotiations are the best path to peace, Palestinians say they may eventually resort to international bodies to force Israel to make concessions.(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Steve Holland and Matt Spetalnick in Washington and Noah Browning in Ramallah; Writing by Patrick Markey, Crispian Balmer and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Tom Heneghan, Jason Szep and Mohammad Zargham)
