Direct talks protocol with Israel still under discussion
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A senior Palestinian official said on Tuesday that the arrangements for the direct peace talks with Israel due to kick-off in Washington on Wednesday are still under discussion.
Mohamed Ishtayeh, member of the Palestinian team for the direct talks in Washington, told the Ramallah-based al-Ayyam Daily that the question of the protocol for the direct talks "still under discussion and hasn't been finalized yet."
"There are some ideas that were presented. These ideas are related to the dynamics and the mechanisms of the talks, however, all these issues need to be agreed upon between the parties," said Ishtayeh. "This subject is still under discussion and it has not been fully agreed upon on all its details."
On Wednesday, United States President Barack Obama will sponsor a direct meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to declare the launching of the direct peace talks between them.
Ishtayeh affirmed that the Palestinian side is fully ready to negotiate with the Israeli government not on the base of what had happened with the former governments of Israel.
"I mean that if Israel wants to start from where the former governments stopped, we are ready for it, but if Israel wants to start the talks from zero, then we will not be committed to anything that had been discussed before," said Ishtayeh.
He said that the Palestinian expectations are "not so high."
"The structure of the current Israeli government doesn't want to end the occupation of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967 and only tries to end the world's pressure on it," said Ishtayeh.
He also told the Palestinian daily that the Americans "are seeking to make achievements before the elections of the congress, " adding "But in all cases, we don't want to waste any opportunity and we don't want to be blamed for Israel's stupidity."
