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Barak calls off visit to Madrid
Photo: Reuters

Defense minister to join PM on US trip

Barak calls off visit to Spain in order to travel with Netanyahu to Washington, where they are expected to meet with senior Obama administration officials. State officials estimate White House has yet to confirm meetings in bid to pressure Israel on peace talks

Defense Minister Ehud Barak will join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his trip to Washington next week. The Prime Minister's Office has yet to confirm that Netanyahu will meet with US President Barack Obama or other administration officials, but Barak's addition implies that the visit will have a diplomatic significance.

 

Both Netanyahu and Barak are expected to meet again with US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell in the coming days. According to sources in Jerusalem, the meeting is aimed at setting the ground for possible diplomatic meetings in Washington, scheduled to take place from November 8 to 10 during the United Jewish Communities' General Assembly.

 

President Obama is expected to address the UJC on Monday, November 9. Sources in Jerusalem estimated that Obama would meet with Netanyahu, and perhaps also with Barak, but these meetings have yet to be officially confirmed.

 

According to claims made in Washington, the Israeli prime minister did not coordinate his visit with the American president.

 

Jerusalem officials have estimated that the White House has yet to confirm the meetings in order to pressure Israel to advance the peace process. According to the source, Obama will meet with Netanyahu to discuss the negotiations with the Palestinians and the Iranian nuclear threat.

 

Following his meetings with Barak and Netanyahu this weekend, Mitchell was expected to travel to Abu Dhabi for a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and to return with her to the region on Saturday for meetings with Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Clinton is also expected to meet with Barak.

 

Due to the Washington visit, Barak has cancelled his planned visit to Spain. His office denied reports that the trip was cancelled due to alleged tensions with Madrid in regards to the identity of the next commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Southern Lebanon.

 


פרסום ראשון: 10.30.09, 19:49
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