Special to WorldTribune.com

AMMAN — The United States has pressed Israel and the Palestinian
Authority to renew final status negotiations.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said both Israeli and PA leaders made
“difficult choices” to bridge the gap for the resumption of negotiations. In
a statement from Amman, Jordan on July 19, Kerry said the talks could begin
by the end of the month.

“If everything goes as expected, Saeb Erekat and Tzipi Livni, minister Livni, and Isaac Molho will be joining me in Washington to begin initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time,” Kerry said.

Kerry said Israel and the PA agreed to the basis for direct final status talks. The secretary refused to elaborate and dismissed media reports as conjecture.

But the U.S. official said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas made concessions that enabled the launch of final status talks. Kerry would not elaborate.

“Both of them have chosen to make difficult choices here, and both of them were instrumental in pushing in this direction,” Kerry said.

Israeli officials said the agreement would include the release of scores
of Palestinians convicted of killing Israeli soldiers and civilians. They
said the U.S. invitation to Israel and the PA stipulated that the basis of
the talks was full Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and most of
Jerusalem.

“The Americans are entitled to say whatever they want,” Israeli
parliamentarian Tsahi Hanegbi, deemed close to Netanyahu, told Israel state
radio.

“For instance, they could say that they think the talks should be
based on the 1967 borders, but that this does not commit us.”

For his part, Netanyahu confirmed Israel’s agreement to U.S.-arranged
talks with the PA. The prime minister said a resolution of the Palestinian
conflict would help Israel strategically as it confronts Iran and Syria.

“With the resumption of the diplomatic process, we are faced with two
main goals: Preventing the creation of a bi-national state between the
Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River that would endanger the future of the
Jewish state and preventing the establishment of an additional
Iranian-sponsored terrorist state on Israel’s borders, which would endanger
us no less,” Netanyahu said on July 20.

Kerry’s announcement came one day after President Barack Obama
telephoned Netanyahu. Officials said the U.S. president urged Netanyahu to
agree to Kerry’s formula for resuming talks meant to facilitate the
establishment of a Palestinian state over the next year.

At the same time, the United States has resumed a strategic dialogue
with Israel expected to include security requirements for a full withdrawal
from the West Bank.

A Pentagon statement said U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary
Ash Carter would meet Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and National
Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror to discuss “issues of mutual strategic
importance and reaffirm the U.S. commitment to the relationship between the
United States and Israel.”

  Benjamin Netanyahu, Isaac Molho, Israel, Kerry: Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, Moshe Ya’alon, Palestinians agree to talks said pinned to West Bank withdrawal, Tzipi Livni