Netanyahu reportedly to offer easing Palestinian movement in West Bank

[Jefferson23]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Thursday with the United States' special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, for a second round of indirect peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

The Prime Minister's Office would not disclose what was discussed at the meeting, but Army Radio reported that Israel was prepared to offer gestures to the Palestinians including removing roadblocks in the West Bank and releasing Palestinian prisoners.

Government sources said that Netanyahu was examining favorably a proposal to build a road linking the West Bank on land Israel had originally allocated for settlement, according to Reuters. There was no confirmation of that report.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Netanyahu's adviser, attorney Yitzhak Molho, also took part in the meeting.

Mitchell arrived in the region on Tuesday and has already held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. During their meeting on Wednesday, Mitchell and Abbas discussed possible outlines of a future Palestinian state.

We are focusing on final-status issues like borders and security," Saeb Erekat told reporters after that meeting.

"We hope that in the next four months we can achieve the two-state solution on the 1967 borders," said Erekat, reiterating a Palestinian demand that Israel withdraws from Palestinian territory it captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

Mitchell will shuttle between Israel and the West Bank for the second substantive sessions since the Palestinians agreed to the indirect "proximity" talks, which have been given a maximum of four months to produce results.


http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-reportedly-to-offer-easing-palestinian-movement-in-west-bank-1.291195