'Israeli PM under pressure from EU, US'
Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:16AM
Israeli Prime Minister is under pressure from the European Union countries and the United States to break the stalemate between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
According to sources at the Prime Minister's office, Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a plan to cooperate with the Palestinians in establishing a Palestinian state with temporary borders as part of an interim agreement with the Palestinian Authority (PA), a Press TV correspondent reported from al-Quds Thursday.
No further details or response have been issued by the Israeli officials. However, analysts have interpreted Netanyahu's willingness to consider such a strategy change in the light of recent uprisings and revolutions sweeping the Arab world.
Many of Tel Aviv's allies, including former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, have been consigned to history. And now, Netanyahu's new stance is widely viewed as a step back from his earlier preference to reach a final-status agreement within a year.
In the past, the PA has rejected similar initiatives and is expected to formally reject the new proposal as well.
Ahmad Roweidi, a PA official, said that this is not the first time that such an initiative is proposed. “The Palestinian stand is known and is against it,” he said.
Hamas movement has also rejected the initiative, questioning the sincerity and seriousness of the Israelis in trying to reach an agreement with the Palestinians.
FTP/MGH