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| Palestinian bid for stronger U.N. ties throws peace talks into confusion | Palestinian bid for stronger U.N. ties throws peace talks into confusion |
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| JERUSALEM — The U.S.-brokered Mideast peace talks were on the brink of collapse Wednesday, as a blindsided Obama administration scrambled to keep the eight-month diplomatic effort going after Palestinians defied American diplomats and resumed a bid for greater statehood rights at the United Nations. | JERUSALEM — The U.S.-brokered Mideast peace talks were on the brink of collapse Wednesday, as a blindsided Obama administration scrambled to keep the eight-month diplomatic effort going after Palestinians defied American diplomats and resumed a bid for greater statehood rights at the United Nations. |
| Secretary of State John F. Kerry, traveling in Brussels for NATO meetings, made phone calls to all sides, and to his own negotiators and White House bosses. He had been planning a trip to see Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank on Wednesday, but called it off late Tuesday, when Abbas announced the unilateral signing of more than a dozen United Nations treaties. | Secretary of State John F. Kerry, traveling in Brussels for NATO meetings, made phone calls to all sides, and to his own negotiators and White House bosses. He had been planning a trip to see Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank on Wednesday, but called it off late Tuesday, when Abbas announced the unilateral signing of more than a dozen United Nations treaties. |
| U.S. diplomats worked most of the night in Jerusalem and on the phone with Palestinian leaders, partly to understand what Abbas had done and what it means both for peace talks and for U.S. relations with the Palestinian Authority. Membership in some U.N. bodies would trigger U.S. bans on funding to the Palestinians, but U.S. officials said late Tuesday that none in this group appeared to meet that bar. | U.S. diplomats worked most of the night in Jerusalem and on the phone with Palestinian leaders, partly to understand what Abbas had done and what it means both for peace talks and for U.S. relations with the Palestinian Authority. Membership in some U.N. bodies would trigger U.S. bans on funding to the Palestinians, but U.S. officials said late Tuesday that none in this group appeared to meet that bar. |
| In announcing the U.N. move Tuesday, Abbas did not declare talks dead. There was no official reaction early Wednesday from Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog said neither side should walk away. | In announcing the U.N. move Tuesday, Abbas did not declare talks dead. There was no official reaction early Wednesday from Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog said neither side should walk away. |
| But an elaborate compromise Kerry had hoped to work out this week now appeared beyond reach. He was brokering an extension of talks through the end of the year with the goal of establishing an independent Palestinian state. | But an elaborate compromise Kerry had hoped to work out this week now appeared beyond reach. He was brokering an extension of talks through the end of the year with the goal of establishing an independent Palestinian state. |
| Speaking after the confusing developments Tuesday, Kerry played down the severity of the breach and said the immediate goal is to find ways to keep the two sides talking. Sounding frustrated, Kerry also threw responsibility for peace, and negotiations, back on the Israeli and Palestinian leaders. | Speaking after the confusing developments Tuesday, Kerry played down the severity of the breach and said the immediate goal is to find ways to keep the two sides talking. Sounding frustrated, Kerry also threw responsibility for peace, and negotiations, back on the Israeli and Palestinian leaders. |
| “The leaders on both sides have to make the decisions, not us. It’s up to them to decide what they are going to do with each other, for each other, for the future, for the region, for peace.” | “The leaders on both sides have to make the decisions, not us. It’s up to them to decide what they are going to do with each other, for each other, for the future, for the region, for peace.” |
| A senior administration official said Kerry has gone as far as he can as mediator, absent major decisions by the parties themselves. | A senior administration official said Kerry has gone as far as he can as mediator, absent major decisions by the parties themselves. |
| The Obama administration’s second-term bid to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian talks and to swiftly broker a deal was always a longshot. Even before the current crisis, the closed-door talks Kerry has been leading had shifted focus at least twice, and were about to slip his self-imposed deadline of a deal by the end of April. | The Obama administration’s second-term bid to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian talks and to swiftly broker a deal was always a longshot. Even before the current crisis, the closed-door talks Kerry has been leading had shifted focus at least twice, and were about to slip his self-imposed deadline of a deal by the end of April. |
| Kerry’s cancellation of his visit followed Abbas’s announcement Tuesday evening that he would sign the paperwork to allow the Palestinians to become a party to 15 U.N. treaties and protocols about the rights of women, children, those with disabilities and civilians in wartime. | Kerry’s cancellation of his visit followed Abbas’s announcement Tuesday evening that he would sign the paperwork to allow the Palestinians to become a party to 15 U.N. treaties and protocols about the rights of women, children, those with disabilities and civilians in wartime. |
| With the stroke of a pen, a pall of confusion descended as diplomats could not answer basic questions about how and when the negotiations will continue. It was not clear whether Abbas’s move was part of negotiating brinksmanship, or a fundamental shift away from talks with Israel. Abbas has been under heavy domestic pressure to abandon talks, especially after Israel reneged on an agreement to release 26 Palestinian prisoners last weekend. | With the stroke of a pen, a pall of confusion descended as diplomats could not answer basic questions about how and when the negotiations will continue. It was not clear whether Abbas’s move was part of negotiating brinksmanship, or a fundamental shift away from talks with Israel. Abbas has been under heavy domestic pressure to abandon talks, especially after Israel reneged on an agreement to release 26 Palestinian prisoners last weekend. |
| The Palestiniansalso were upset by an announcement publicized Tuesday that the Israel Land Authority is tendering an offer to sell to developers the rights to build 708 housing units in the Jerusalem area community of Gilo, which sits on land captured by Israel in the 1967 war and later annexed by the Jerusalem municipality. | The Palestiniansalso were upset by an announcement publicized Tuesday that the Israel Land Authority is tendering an offer to sell to developers the rights to build 708 housing units in the Jerusalem area community of Gilo, which sits on land captured by Israel in the 1967 war and later annexed by the Jerusalem municipality. |
| To the Palestinians, Gilo is a Jewish settlement built on occupied land in East Jerusalem and, therefore, illegal by international law. Israel disputes this. | To the Palestinians, Gilo is a Jewish settlement built on occupied land in East Jerusalem and, therefore, illegal by international law. Israel disputes this. |
| The timing of the housing tenders, as news was breaking of a possible deal to keep the peace talks from collapsing, raised ire among the Palestinians and suspicion among watchdog groups in Israel. | The timing of the housing tenders, as news was breaking of a possible deal to keep the peace talks from collapsing, raised ire among the Palestinians and suspicion among watchdog groups in Israel. |
| The signing of the U.N. documents occurred as U.S. and Israeli negotiators were working on a broad outline for a bold plan to extend the talks. The plan would have required Israel to slow settlement construction in the West Bank and release hundreds of additional Palestinian prisoners. | The signing of the U.N. documents occurred as U.S. and Israeli negotiators were working on a broad outline for a bold plan to extend the talks. The plan would have required Israel to slow settlement construction in the West Bank and release hundreds of additional Palestinian prisoners. |
| It was clear that Abbas had given the United States little notice or none at all. U.S. officials at first were surprised that Abbas was speaking at all, then dumbfounded at what they heard. Negotiators had been trying to broker a new deal for prisoner releases sought by the Palestinians and an extension of the peace talks. Kerry had already detoured from stops in Europe to meet with Netanyahu on Monday, and planned to repeat the shuttle diplomacy Wednesday with Palestinians. | It was clear that Abbas had given the United States little notice or none at all. U.S. officials at first were surprised that Abbas was speaking at all, then dumbfounded at what they heard. Negotiators had been trying to broker a new deal for prisoner releases sought by the Palestinians and an extension of the peace talks. Kerry had already detoured from stops in Europe to meet with Netanyahu on Monday, and planned to repeat the shuttle diplomacy Wednesday with Palestinians. |
| “Since Israel failed to release the last group of prisoners, the state of Palestine is no longer obliged to postpone its rights to accede to multilateral treaties and conventions,” Palestinian spokesman Xavier Abu Eid said Wednesday. “This does not mean that the negotiations process is over.” | “Since Israel failed to release the last group of prisoners, the state of Palestine is no longer obliged to postpone its rights to accede to multilateral treaties and conventions,” Palestinian spokesman Xavier Abu Eid said Wednesday. “This does not mean that the negotiations process is over.” |
| The late-afternoon developments followed a report earlier in the day that the United States was considering the release of Jonathan Pollard, a former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst who in 1987 was convicted of spying for Israel, as part of a broader deal that would keep the peace talks underway at least through 2015. | The late-afternoon developments followed a report earlier in the day that the United States was considering the release of Jonathan Pollard, a former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst who in 1987 was convicted of spying for Israel, as part of a broader deal that would keep the peace talks underway at least through 2015. |
| The Palestinians would, in turn, agree not to pursue recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state or other redress through the United Nations to keep alive hopes for a negotiated solution. | The Palestinians would, in turn, agree not to pursue recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state or other redress through the United Nations to keep alive hopes for a negotiated solution. |
| The Palestinians won “non-member observer state” status at the United Nations in 2012. Full membership was blocked in 2011. | The Palestinians won “non-member observer state” status at the United Nations in 2012. Full membership was blocked in 2011. |
| Israel and the United States consider the United Nations an unsympathetic forum for Israel, but one that will not help the Palestinians achieve an independent state beside Israel, which occupies the West Bank and enforces a partial naval and land blockade of the Gaza Strip. | Israel and the United States consider the United Nations an unsympathetic forum for Israel, but one that will not help the Palestinians achieve an independent state beside Israel, which occupies the West Bank and enforces a partial naval and land blockade of the Gaza Strip. |
| Abu Eid said the Palestinians had agreed in July not to join U.N. organizations or sign U.N. treaties in exchange for Israel’s promise to release 104 Palestinian prisoners. Because the last group of 26 was not released as scheduled over the weekend, Abu Eid said, the Palestinians felt free to sign the documents. | |
| “We are not doing this against America, but we still don’t see other ways forward,” Abbas said in a speech to fellow members of the Palestine Liberation Organization. “We don’t see any reason not to go and sign these agreements, with the knowledge that we are on the path to reaching an agreement through talks and through peaceful popular resistance.” | “We are not doing this against America, but we still don’t see other ways forward,” Abbas said in a speech to fellow members of the Palestine Liberation Organization. “We don’t see any reason not to go and sign these agreements, with the knowledge that we are on the path to reaching an agreement through talks and through peaceful popular resistance.” |
| It was not clear what the Obama administration would do next. | It was not clear what the Obama administration would do next. |
| “This is a moment to be really clear-eyed and sober about this process,” Kerry said. “It is difficult. It is emotional. It requires huge decisions, some of them with great political difficulty, all of which need to come together simultaneously.” | “This is a moment to be really clear-eyed and sober about this process,” Kerry said. “It is difficult. It is emotional. It requires huge decisions, some of them with great political difficulty, all of which need to come together simultaneously.” |
| Asked directly about whether the United States would release Pollard early, Kerry said there is no agreement on any prisoner, including those at issue in the release that was supposed to occur this past Saturday. Pollard has been in prison since 1985; he is eligible for parole in 2015. | Asked directly about whether the United States would release Pollard early, Kerry said there is no agreement on any prisoner, including those at issue in the release that was supposed to occur this past Saturday. Pollard has been in prison since 1985; he is eligible for parole in 2015. |
| Pollard’s early release would be a prize for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the White House had been gambling that it would provide President Obama with additional leverage in the U.S.-led effort to create an independent Palestinian state. | Pollard’s early release would be a prize for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the White House had been gambling that it would provide President Obama with additional leverage in the U.S.-led effort to create an independent Palestinian state. |
| Without significant moves forward by both parties, Pollard is out of the mix, said the senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the delicate negotiations. | Without significant moves forward by both parties, Pollard is out of the mix, said the senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the delicate negotiations. |
| The Obama administration, like Republican and Democratic administrations before it, has publicly resisted strong Israeli lobbying to lighten Pollard’s sentence for spying for a friendly country. But Pollard’s fate was always presumed to be a potential element of any U.S.-backed solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. | The Obama administration, like Republican and Democratic administrations before it, has publicly resisted strong Israeli lobbying to lighten Pollard’s sentence for spying for a friendly country. But Pollard’s fate was always presumed to be a potential element of any U.S.-backed solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. |
| Gearan reported from Brussels. Karen DeYoung in Washington contributed to this report. | Gearan reported from Brussels. Karen DeYoung in Washington contributed to this report. |