US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was scheduled to arrived in Israel on Tuesday, 3 Tammuz 5773, has pushed of the date for few days. It appears at present that Mr. Kerry will be arriving next week.

Kerry plans to meet with both Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). The secretary is waiting for the latter’s response regarding PA preconditions to the resumption of talks with Israel. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu continues to call for an immediate and unconditional return to diplomatic talks with the PA (Palestinian Authority).

In line with Israeli policy in the past, Prime Minister Netanyahu offered to release 50 terrorists from prison as a pre-negotiating goodwill gesture. Abu Mazen rejected the gesture, demanding the release of 107 terrorists.

Over the weekend, in response to a statement from Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Danon, the prime minister reiterated his commitment to the two-state solution, the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Danon announced that today, the cabinet lacks a majority for the two-state solution but the prime minister was quick to distance himself from the senior minister’s comments.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)