ISRAEL-USA/STATE BRIEFING U.S. Secretary of State to discuss possible U.N. proposals with Netanyahu in Rome

Record ID: 398841

  • Title: ISRAEL-USA/STATE BRIEFING U.S. Secretary of State to discuss possible U.N. proposals with Netanyahu in Rome
  • Date: 10th December 2014
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 10, 2014) (STATE DEPARTMENT TV) STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN JEN PSAKI WALKING TO PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN JEN PSAKI SAYING: "Clearly, there's a range of proposals out there. There's a growing number of countries that are pushing for action on the issue at the UN. This warrants discussion with Isra
  • Embargoed: 25th December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA5UTZL0JZ29CVDG20J2KAAJCXF
  • Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Rome on Sunday (December 14) for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on developments in Israel and the West Bank, the State Department announced on Wednesday (December 10).
    At a briefing in Washington, D.C., spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the two men will discuss a range of issues, including proposals on the Middle East now circulating at the United Nations.
    "Clearly, there's a range of proposals out there. There's a growing number of countries that are pushing for action on the is issue at the UN. This warrants discussion with Israel, the Palestinians and key members of the international community. Certainly, that will be part of their focus as well."
    One of those proposals comes from Jordan, which circulated a Palestinian-drafted resolution to the United Nations Security Council last month calling for Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory to end by November 2016.
    France, Britain and Germany are also drafting a resolution, which French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said would propose concluding peace talks in two years.
    A senior State Department official said Kerry would meet with Fabius on the sidelines of a climate conference in Lima, Peru on Thursday (December 11). The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Ukraine are likely to be discussed during the meeting, another department official added.
    Psaki denied that the meeting has any connection to Israeli elections, which are set for March.
    "We're not going to Israel. Obviously, there is diplomacy and foreign policy that needs to happen even in months before an election."
    Meanwhile, tensions escalated on Wednesday after a Palestinian minister died shortly after an Israeli border policeman shoved and grabbed him by the throat during a protest in the West Bank. Psaki said the U.S. offers condolences to his family, and called for the death to be investigated.
    "We are deeply concerned by the death of Palestinian Authority senior official Ziad Abu Ein, which reportedly occurred during a protest in the West Bank. We offer our condolences to his family and the Palestinian Authority. We've seen the reports that the Israelis are looking into an investigation into this incident. As always , we call for this investigation to be swift, fair and transparent, and at this difficult time we continue to call on both sides to work to lower tensions and to prevent the escalation of violence."
    Minutes after the confrontation the minister began to look faint and fell to the ground clasping his chest. He died on his way to hospital.
    It was not clear what caused his death. An autopsy is being carried out with Palestinian, Israeli and Jordanian pathologists present, with the results expected later on Wednesday.
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