European diplomat denies Iran’s assertion that framework nuclear deal is close
(JNS.org) A framework agreement on Iran’s nuclear program is unlikely to be reached in the next few days of the talks between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 powers, a senior European diplomat said, blaming Tehran for its refusal to compromise.
“Contrary to what the Iranians are saying with regard to 90 percent of an accord being done, that’s not correct,” the European negotiator told reporters in Switzerland, Reuters reported. “We are not close to an agreement.”
Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi had said Tuesday that an accord was 90-percent agreed upon, with only one issue remaining. March 31 is the deadline for a framework agreement (it was previously March 24), and the deadline for a final deal is June 30.
Reports indicate that there have been some agreements in the nuclear talks, including new limits on the number of centrifuges Iran can operate, capping that number at around 6,000.
Nevertheless, there have been a number of sticking points around the nuclear deal. One has been the duration of the agreement. U.S. President Barack Obama has said that Iran must accept a deal for at least 10 years. But France is pushing for 15 years, followed by a 10-year period of intense monitoring by the International Atomy Energy Agency.
One diplomat said France’s hard line on negotiations is similar to that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has expressed strong opposition to the current Iran talks
“It is like Netanyahu is sitting in the room and not [the] French delegation,” an anonymous diplomat said, Reuters reported.
Iran has also called for immediate sanctions relief following a nuclear deal, a demand negotiators have so far rejected.
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Netanyahu says he supports ‘sustainable’ two-state solution, never changed his policy
(JNS.org) In his first interview with American media after his Likud party’s election victory, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supports a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes a Jewish state, if specific circumstances make that a realistic possibility.
“I don’t want a one-state solution,” he said in an interview with NBC News. “I want a sustainable, peaceful two-state solution.”
In a pre-election interview on Monday, Netanyahu had told the NRGwebsite that he would not support Israeli withdrawal from its territory to make room for a Palestinian state, due to the possibility of attacks by Islamic extremists.
“I haven’t changed my policy,” Netanyahu told NBC News on Thursday. “I never retracted my speech at Bar-Ilan University six years ago calling for a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes a Jewish state.”
Netanyahu said he believes “circumstances have to change” for there to be a Palestinian state, adding that current Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has made a pact with Hamas that calls for Israel’s destruction.
“And every territory that is vacated today in the Middle East is taken up by Islamist forces,” he said. “We want that to change so we can realize a vision of real, sustained peace.”
The U.S. State Department on Thursday said it “can’t forget” what Netanyahu said about his position on a two-state solution earlier this week.
“Certainly, the prime minister’s comments from a few days ago called into question his commitment to that,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
“We believe he changed his position,” she added. “We can’t forget about those [initial] comments.”
The State Department’s comments come as reports said that President Barack Obama was considering a non-binding resolution at the United Nations Security Council calling for a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines and mutually agreed land swaps.
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Israel allows 1,000 tons of cement into Gaza for rebuilding effort
(JNS.org) Israeli authorities have allowed a shipment of 1,000 tons of cement into Gaza as part of initial efforts to rebuild the territory following last summer’s war there.
“Today, 1,000 tons of cement paid for by Qatar entered the Gaza Strip for a project included in the scope of the reconstruction mechanism,” a statement from the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said.
“There are no fixed quantities [going in] on a daily basis. The quantities [delivered] are at the request of the Palestinian Authority in accordance with the needs of suppliers who are purchasing in Gaza,” the statement added.
The shipment of cement was paid for by Qatar, which announced last week that it would pay to rebuild 1,000 homes in Gaza as part of a $1 billion pledge.
Israel allowed the shipment despite the fact that the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has in the past used cement and other building materials to construct tunnels underneath the border with Israel in order to launch attacks.
Efforts to rebuild Gaza have been slow following last summer’s war there, with some blaming the ongoing standoff between Palestinian rival factions—Hamas and the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority—for hampering reconstruction. Many Arab countries, preoccupied with other domestic and regional concerns, have been slow to help Gaza.
Last week, Israeli authorities allowed a limited amount of produce to be exported by Gaza to Israel for the first time in nearly a decade. Approximately 27 tons of tomatoes and five tons of eggplants were cleared to enter Israel.
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Articles from JNS.og appear on San Diego Jewish World through the generosity of Dr. Bob and Mao Shillman.
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