Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama discussed recent developments in the Mideast peace process as well as the West’s continuing standoff with Iran in a phone conversation on Thursday.
The talk came amid recent Jordan-mediated attempts to revive talks between Israel and the Palestinian, with Netanyahu’s envoy Yitzhak Molcho and top Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat meeting in Amman.
On Tuesday, the White House announced that Obama will host King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House next Tuesday, in an effort to advance a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
According to a White House statement, Obama and King Abdulla II will discuss "a broad range of bilateral and regional economic and security issues during their Oval Office meeting," including their "shared goal of a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinians."
On Thursday, the White House reported the premier discussed recent developments with the American president, saying the two leaders “reviewed the recent meetings between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Amman and the President reaffirmed his commitment to the goal of a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region.”
“The two leaders also discussed recent Iran-related developments, including the international community’s efforts to hold Iran accountable for its failures to meet its international obligations,” the statement added, saying that Obama “reiterated his unshakable commitment to Israel’s security, and the President and the prime minister promised to stay in touch in the coming weeks on these and other issues of mutual concern.”
Also Thursday, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the official Palestinian news agency WAFA that Abbas was to embark on a tour of Europe next week, with a meeting scheduled with U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron as soon as Sunday.
Abbas’ planned tour to the U.K., Germany, and Russia comes as a Jan. 26 Quartet deadline for the resumption of peace talks looms nearer, and following remarks by the Palestinian president concerning “measures” the Palestinians would take against Israel if this most recent attempt to revive negotiations fails.
Speaking last week, Abbas said that if Israel accepts the Palestinian conditions, “we will go to negotiations.” He said the Palestinians have set a Jan. 26 deadline for talks to resume. “After that date, we will take new measures. These measures might be hard,” Abbas added.
Mr. Abbas said no decision has been made yet. But Palestinian officials have said they are considering resuming their push for UN membership as well as ways to isolate Israel at the United Nations, such as a new resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.