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| John Kerry in fresh push to unblock Israel-Palestine talks | John Kerry in fresh push to unblock Israel-Palestine talks |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| John Kerry is to make yet another personal push for movement in the stagnating peace talks between Israel and Palestine amid indications that the EU is considering cutting funding to the Palestinian Authority (PA) if there is no breakthrough. | John Kerry is to make yet another personal push for movement in the stagnating peace talks between Israel and Palestine amid indications that the EU is considering cutting funding to the Palestinian Authority (PA) if there is no breakthrough. |
| The US secretary of state is due to arrive in the region late on Wednesday for separate discussions with the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, in Jerusalem and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, in Ramallah on Thursday. The talks are widely acknowledged to have made almost no progress since opening in July. | |
| Mohammed Shtayyeh, who left the Palestinian negotiating team last month in protest at Israel's continued settlement expansion, said wide gaps between the two sides were "block[ing] any possibility of a peace deal", and that he believed Israel wanted to annex swaths of the West Bank. | |
| The US, which is mediating the talks, was "unbalanced" in favour of Israel, he added. | The US, which is mediating the talks, was "unbalanced" in favour of Israel, he added. |
| In Brussels, senior EU officials warned that action on produce originating in Israeli settlements in the West Bank was likely to step up, and that the EU may consider withholding the €300m (£249m) it gives to the Palestinian Authority each year if the talks failed. | In Brussels, senior EU officials warned that action on produce originating in Israeli settlements in the West Bank was likely to step up, and that the EU may consider withholding the €300m (£249m) it gives to the Palestinian Authority each year if the talks failed. |
| Andreas Reinicke, the EU's special representative to the Middle East peace process, told reporters in Brussels that half the EU's member states were in favour of action against settlement goods. | Andreas Reinicke, the EU's special representative to the Middle East peace process, told reporters in Brussels that half the EU's member states were in favour of action against settlement goods. |
| "When I assumed office, there were two countries that supported marking goods from the settlements," he said. "Now, 14 countries support this, headed by Britain and France. Obviously this matter will come up again if the sides do not reach an agreement." | "When I assumed office, there were two countries that supported marking goods from the settlements," he said. "Now, 14 countries support this, headed by Britain and France. Obviously this matter will come up again if the sides do not reach an agreement." |
| An unnamed senior official said: "If the talks fail, we will ask ourselves: why continue to transfer hundreds of millions to the [Palestinian Authority]?" The funds would be likely to "fade away" without the establishment of a Palestinian state, he added. | |
| According to reports, officials had considered cutting the funding earlier this year but decided to delay the decision when peace talks began, awaiting diplomatic resolution. | According to reports, officials had considered cutting the funding earlier this year but decided to delay the decision when peace talks began, awaiting diplomatic resolution. |
| Without EU funding, the PA would struggle to function. Its collapse would oblige Israel, as an occupying force, to take over the provision of public services. Some Palestinians and their supporters argue that this would be an improvement on a status quo in which, they say, the PA and its international backers provide a fig leaf for the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. | Without EU funding, the PA would struggle to function. Its collapse would oblige Israel, as an occupying force, to take over the provision of public services. Some Palestinians and their supporters argue that this would be an improvement on a status quo in which, they say, the PA and its international backers provide a fig leaf for the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. |
| On Monday, Abbas repeated earlier warnings that the Palestinians would seek recourse to international institutions in the event of the talks' failure. "The commitment to refrain from action at the [United Nations] ends after the nine-month period agreed for talks," he told reporters in Ramallah. | On Monday, Abbas repeated earlier warnings that the Palestinians would seek recourse to international institutions in the event of the talks' failure. "The commitment to refrain from action at the [United Nations] ends after the nine-month period agreed for talks," he told reporters in Ramallah. |
| Israel and the US are vigorously opposed to "unilateral" actions by the Palestinians. Israel is particularly alarmed at the prospect of the Palestinians signing up to the international criminal court, fearing it could be pursued for alleged war crimes. | Israel and the US are vigorously opposed to "unilateral" actions by the Palestinians. Israel is particularly alarmed at the prospect of the Palestinians signing up to the international criminal court, fearing it could be pursued for alleged war crimes. |
| The US is to present Israel with security proposals at Thursday's meeting in an effort to advance the talks, according to a report in Haaretz. | The US is to present Israel with security proposals at Thursday's meeting in an effort to advance the talks, according to a report in Haaretz. |
| It said the plan has been devised by John Allen, a retired US general who was appointed special adviser to Kerry, and the US defence secretary, Chuck Hagel, in May. | It said the plan has been devised by John Allen, a retired US general who was appointed special adviser to Kerry, and the US defence secretary, Chuck Hagel, in May. |
| Israel is known to be demanding a continued security presence in the Jordan Valley, a strip of West Bank land abutting the border with Jordan that has huge strategic and economic importance to Israel, under any peace deal. It also wants continued control over Palestinian airspace and border crossings. | Israel is known to be demanding a continued security presence in the Jordan Valley, a strip of West Bank land abutting the border with Jordan that has huge strategic and economic importance to Israel, under any peace deal. It also wants continued control over Palestinian airspace and border crossings. |
| According to Haaretz, the US believes its security proposals could encourage Netanyahu to discuss the issue of borders. | According to Haaretz, the US believes its security proposals could encourage Netanyahu to discuss the issue of borders. |
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