Israel casts doubt on nine-month target for Palestinian deal
Source: Reuters
Israel casts doubt on nine-month target for Palestinian deal
BY JEFFREY HELLER
JERUSALEM Tue Jan 7, 2014 10:11am EST
(Reuters) - Israel's defense minister said on Tuesday wide gaps remain in peace talks with the Palestinians after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's latest visit and he cast doubt over the chances of reaching a final accord by an April target.
Negotiations on Palestinian statehood resumed in July after a three-year halt, with a nine-month target set for a permanent peace agreement, amid deep skepticism a deal could be achieved to end the decades-old conflict.
"We are attempting to achieve a framework for a continuation of negotiations for a period exceeding the nine months in which some thought that we would be able to reach a permanent agreement," Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon told reporters.
"It is clear there are big gaps - they are not new - but it is definitely in our interest to continue the talks," he said in broadcast remarks, without defining the differences.
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