Peres holds secret talks with Palestinians in bid to restart negotiations

[oberliner]

President Shimon Peres has been holding intensive talks with Ramallah in an effort to resume negotiations and head off a unilateral Palestinian statehood bid at the UN in September.

The meetings are being held in complete coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Haaretz has learned that on Tuesday night, Peres held a long meeting with the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat. The two went over maps of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in an effort to find a formula that would bypass the dispute over establishing the June 4, 1967 border as a basis for negotiations toward a final settlement between Israel and the Palestinians.

One option explored was the exchange of territory, and others was to compensate the Palestinians for settlement blocs annexed into Israel, on the basis of the U.S. proposal that the area of a Palestinian state be equal to the territory of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/peres-holds-secret-talks-with-palestinians-in-bid-to-restart-negotiations-1.375809

[regnaD kciN]

1. The thing is, I would think Peres has ZERO credibility...

[oberliner]

2. Why would you say that?

Who would be a more credible option?

[Jefferson23]

3. snip*

Israeli leaders have appealed to the Palestinians to drop their UN initiative. Abed Rabbo said Monday that Netanyahu scuttled a secret meeting last week meant to head off the looming diplomatic showdown.

He said Israeli President Shimon Peres called his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, and asked to meet, promising to bring some creative ideas for defusing the crisis.
Abed Rabbo said Abbas traveled to neighboring Jordan for the secret meeting last Thursday, but at the last minute, Peres called to cancel, saying that Netanyahu opposed his ideas.

Both Peres' and Netanyahu's offices declined comment.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinians-plan-mass-demonstrations-against-israel-on-eve-of-un-vote-1.376457