Israeli hardliners object to Kerry pressure [View all]
Source: AP-Excite
By JOSEF FEDERMAN
JERUSALEM (AP) - Benjamin Netanyahu's hardline coalition partners on Sunday stepped up pressure on the Israeli prime minister, threatening to topple the government if he caves in to American pressure to accept a key Palestinian territorial demand in U.S.-backed peace talks.
The warnings came as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry took a brief break after three days of talks with Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, jetting off to the Arab world to discuss his efforts before an expected return to Jerusalem later Sunday.
In a sign that Kerry is intensifying the pressure, a Palestinian official confirmed that the secretary asked Abbas to recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland. Abbas has repeatedly rejected this Israeli demand, saying it would compromise the rights of Palestinian refugees and Israel's Arab minority. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because Kerry has barred the sides from discussing the negotiations in public.
Kerry was meeting with the leaders of Jordan and Saudi Arabia on Sunday, possibly to win Arab backing for any Palestinian concessions.
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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's motorcade is parked near al-Hussein mosque while Kerry meets with Jordan's King Abdullah II at Al-Hummar Palace in Amman, Jordan, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014. America's top diplomat is trying to nudge Israel and the Palestinians closer to signing an accord, setting up a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Kerry said Saturday that progress is being made, yet key hurdles are yet to be overcome. Kerry's talks on Sunday with Jordan's King Abdullah II and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah are likely to also touch on the war in Syria, rising violence in Iraq, and Iran's nuclear program. (AP Photo/Brendan Smialowski, Pool)
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