While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared on Sunday his willingness to discuss all core Mideast issues with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, he is de facto ignoring the Palestinian National Authority's efforts to present him with its peace plan, local daily Ma'ariv reported on Monday.
Israeli representatives, including Netanyahu, have repeatedly turned down in recent weeks their Palestinian counterparts' requests to review official documents drafted by the PNA which detail their position on essential issues of the conflict.
The report cited the latest meeting held in Washington between Israel's chief negotiator to the peace talks Yitzhak Molcho and his Palestinian counterpart, Saeb Erekat, during which the latter "surprised" the Israeli by pulling from his brief case an official draft of the Palestinian peace map with an updated outline of its positions on substance issues.
The Israeli, according to anonymous sources, allegedly responded by saying that he cannot even touch the documents, let alone read it, since it would lead to the "immediate toppling of the (Israeli) government."
In a September meeting between Netanyahu and Abbas, which was held at the Israeli prime minister's official residence in Jerusalem prior to the breakdown of the peace talks, the Palestinian leader reportedly brought along a two-page document detailed his proposal on the two core issues that were slated to open negotiations between the two sides: borders and security arrangements.
Netanyahu refused to review or discuss the document, but Abbas left the copy before departing to Ramallah in case the Israeli would change his mind, Ma'ariv reported.
An official from the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on Monday declined Xinhua's request to comment on the report.
While Israeli officials do not confirm their existence, the documents are said to include a Palestinian consent to a long- range presence of a third party in the Jordan Valley following the signing of a peace deal which would be agreeable by Israel, including U.S. or NATO military forces, to secure the smooth operation of land passages.
Netanyahu on Sunday announced he is ready to meet with Abbas and discuss all the core issues "until white smoke comes out," which means to reach a final settlement that would end the conflict.
But Israel is yet to meet the U.S. administration's expectations and submit its own initial proposals for resuming the stalled talks.
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