Parties to Weigh-in on Kerry Proposals before “Framework” is Presented

US Secretary of State John Kerry is giving Israeli and Palestinian negotiators a chance to weigh-in on what he will present shortly as his “framework” proposals that will guide the negotiations under way under the SecState’s aegis. The Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds reported that chief negotiator Sa’ib Ariqat is seeking a long list of clarifications about the American thinking, insisting that the 1967 borders are the baseline for talks and that other Palestinian redline issues are clearly laid out. Despite Kerry’s veil of secrecy over the substance of the talks, most of what has surfaced is reports of stalemate over each side’s “non-negotiable” issues. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu triggered a brouhaha when he suggested last week that he sees no reason why Israeli Jews cannot live under Palestinian sovereignty. The idea was immediately dismissed by Palestinian officials and trashed as well by some members of Netanyahu’s own party and government coalition.