Report: Israel Says No to Summit with Palestinians

By Hamodia Staff

YERUSHALAYIM – Israel has reportedly rejected an American initiative to hold a five-party Mideast summit to renew attempts to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

The proposal was made by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in a meeting last week in Washington with Israel’s National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata, according to Walla news on Thursday, citing three Israeli officials speaking on condition of anonymity.

The summit would bring together the foreign ministers of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the United States, Egypt and Jordan, in Washington or a regional venue, such as Egypt or Jordan.

In response, Hulata reportedly said that such a summit would raise unrealistic expectations that would end in violence.

“We don’t like this idea. Experience in the past proves that a crisis of expectations is likely to bring about an escalation of violence in the field,” a senior Israeli official told Walla.

The last round of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority collapsed in 2014; it was followed a few months later by a major escalation of Palestinian violence.

One official was quoted as saying that the Israelis were puzzled as to why the Biden administration was pushing the idea, despite the remote chances of success.

The PA has lately been demanding “action” from Washington, but the Bennett-Lapid government has its hands tied by coalition agreements to avoid such sensitive issues, over which the coalition partners are deeply divided.

In addition, the coalition has, in recent weeks suffered defections and legislative setbacks leaving it in precarious condition, apparently on the brink of collapse. Under such circumstances, summitry with the Palestinians does not seem promising.