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Time not ripe for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, says top US official

Washington is aiming to “pave a path to negotiations” but is not explicitly calling for them right now, said State Department spokesman Ned Price.

By World Israel News Staff

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the Biden administration will not pressure Israel and the Palestinian Authority to resume peace talks at this time, Israel Hayom reported.

“We are seeking to see to it that Israelis and Palestinians experience equal measures of safety, of security, of prosperity, and of dignity, but we’ve also been very clear that the starting point that we have right now … is not one where I think we would expect to see direct negotiations between the parties lead to any sort of breakthrough in the near term,” Price said at a press conference Wednesday.

The press event took place on the one-year anniversary of the Abraham Accords. “Peace is possible and worthwhile for the leaders who courageously pursue it – and for their peoples,” Price said.

Washington is aiming to “pave a path to negotiations” but is not explicitly calling for them right now.

“We are also under no illusions about where we are and where we aren’t in terms of what may be viable and what may be on the table,” Price added.

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“We will endeavor to ensure that as Israel and other countries in the region join together in a common effort to build bridges and create avenues for dialogue and exchange, we are able to make tangible progress towards the goal of advancing a negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”