JERUSALEM, (PNA/Xinhua) — Israeli officials complained to their U.S. counterparts about the Palestinians’ leaks to the media from peace negotiations’ meetings, the Ha’aretz daily reported on Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister’s envoy to the talks, Itzhak Molcho, complained to U.S. Envoy to the Middle East Peace Process, Martin Indyk, that the Palestinians were “violating the agreements” between Israel, the Palestinians and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
On July 30, when the talks first took place after a three-year halt (due to Israel’s continuing construction in the settlements, built on lands annexed in the Mideast War in 1967), the parties agreed not to leak any information from them to the press, including their time and place.
After several reports based on Palestinians officials, Israeli officials have decided to file the complaint.
“The Palestinian side doesn’t only leak, but leaks it wrong,” an unnamed Israeli official told the daily. “They leak that there’ s no progress in order to increase international pressure over Israel,” the source added.
The Palestinians have been accusing Israel of not making any progress and wasting time instead of moving along with the peace talks, which have entered their sixth round.
Last week, a Palestinian official told media outlets Israel proposed a Palestinian state within temporary borders on 60 percent of the West Bank’s territory.
Another official told Xinhua that Israel is only talking about security issues, including the disputed possible presence of the Israeli army in a future Palestinian state.
In addition, over the weekend Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was quoted on Palestinian media outlets saying that Israel rejects the principle of territorial exchange.
The Palestinians are demanding that the negotiations will be based on the 1967 borders, with land swaps, while Israel has refused to clearly announce that. Israel demands to talk about security arrangements and then on other matters like borders, to the objection of the Palestinians.
Tensions have mounted during the negotiations in the past couple of months over Israel’s recent announcement of plans to build more than 1,600 housing units in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. U.S. officials have urged both sides to carry on the talks regardless of the settlement activity.