WASHINGTON – United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to visit Jerusalem in 10 days, and supervise direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The State Department on Sunday issued a statement, saying that the first meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu andPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas willtake place in Egypt on September 14 as planned, but will then move to the heart of the conflict – Jerusalem.
Earlier, Netanyahu commented on his private meeting with Abbas, "I hope our conversation and more conversations in the future will develop into a direct, reliable and necessary relationship that will lead to the formation of an agreement. What we need right now is not a multitude of teams, but decision making of leaders."
The prime minister noted that past lessons must be considered in the future: "In order to succeed this time we must learn the lessons from 17 years of negotiations, and think creatively and outside the box in order to reach practical solutions.
"I believe it is possible," he added, "And I am ready to come to an historic compromise with our neighbors, as long as it safeguards our interests, and especially our security."
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman reiteratedhis pessimistic view, saying that "signing a comprehensive peace agreement is not an attainable goal – not next year, and not in the next generation."
Speaking at aYisrael Beiteinu eventfor Rosh Hashana ,Lieberman added that "Abbas won't sign. Even historic compromises or painful concessions won't help."