There is talk of a trilateral summit during the scheduled visit to Israel in the spring of 2013 by US President Barak Obama including Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority). The summit may even expand to a foursome to include Jordan’s King Abdullah II. The announcement was made by outgoing Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who was a guest at a Shabbos cultural event in Holon.

Ayalon feels Obama’s visit is in America’s interest towards restoring Obama to his former position as the leader in the political process between Israel and the PA. In addition, the visit will pave the road for the newly-appointed Secretary of State John Kerry, who will assume the role of peacemaker as he tries to impose a settlement on Israel and the PA following the president’s departure.

This week, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s emissary attorney Yitzchak Molcho will be leaving for the United States along with National Security Advisor Yaakov Amidror. They trip is reportedly connected to the US president’s planned arrival in Israel in the springtime, working to coordinate the second term president’s first visit to Israel.

In a somewhat related matter, speaking on the Ulpan Shishi TV News program on Friday evening outgoing Minister of Intelligence & Atomic Energy Dan Meridor stated Israel must take the initiative towards the resumption of talks with the PA. He also used the forum to repeat a message released earlier in the week, condemning any and all construction in Yehuda and Shomron outside the ‘settlement blocs’. He is referring to large communities like Maale Adumim, Ariel, and Efrat. Meridor feels construction in smaller yishuvim; those likely to be uprooted in a final status agreement with the PA will significantly harm Israel’s position in the international community.

Meridor also blamed PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) for his lack of cooperation with the “generous” offers put before him, including the willingness of former Prime Minister Ehud Barak who made an unprecedented offer to the PA leader, which he rejected.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting this Sunday morning 1 Rosh Chodesh Adar 5773 made the following comment to reporters. “I welcome President Obama’s intention to visit Israel. This will be a very important visit that will emphasize the strong alliance between Israel and the US. I think that the importance of this alliance stands out even more given what is happening, in light of the great revolutions, the earthquakes that are taking place around us throughout the Middle East, from the Atlantic Ocean and North Africa and eastwards to Iran.

“The President and I have discussed this visit. We agreed that we will discuss three main subjects: Iran’s arming itself, Iran’s attempt to arm itself with nuclear weapons, the unstable situation in Syria and its consequences for the security of the region and, of course, for Israel and the US, and efforts to advance the peace process between us and the Palestinians. These issues, and others that will come up, are weighty concerns and require the most serious consideration on Israel’s part.

“I also believe that they require as broad a national unity as possible; the harnessing of all forces in the State of Israel, and this is the nature of our efforts at this time to form a government.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)