Kerry Arrives In Israel, Holds Late Night Meetings To Save Peace Talks
Sources close to negotiation reporting Pollard may be released as part of deal whereby Israel would free fourth batch of prisoners, talks would continue.
By HERB KEINON
LAST UPDATED: 03/31/2014 22:38
US Secretary of State John Kerry met in Jerusalem Monday evening with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, amid reports the US may release Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard by mid-April as part of a wider package designed to resuscitate the negotiations.
Reuters, citing sources close to the negotiations, said that under the plan Israel would go ahead with the release of the fourth group of Palestinian security prisoners it agreed to release under the framework that led to a renewal of talks last July.
In addition, the sources were quoted as saying that Israel would agree to release another larger group of prisoners, and the peace talks would be extended past the April 29 deadline.
Israeli officials would not discuss any details of what was under discussion. In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney said he had no update on Pollard. Nevertheless, there is a sense among some dealing with the issue that this time the reports of a deal that would include Pollard are more serious than in the past.
Kerry interrupted his scheduled travels in Europe for the second time in a week to rush to the region and salvage talks in a crisis since Israel missed the March 29 deadline set to release the final batch of prisoners.
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http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Kerry-returns-to-Israel-in-an-attempt-to-salvage-flailing-peace-talks-347027
