WASHINGTON — U.S. and Israeli officials struggled Wednesday to resolve a dispute over U.S. demands that Israel make goodwill gestures to get Palestinian officials back to negotiations.
Visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who held two hours of talks with President Barack Obama on Tuesday night, cleared his schedule Wednesday to undertake more negotiations with senior U.S. officials, including special peace envoy George Mitchell and White House adviser Dennis Ross. The prime minister, who was to leave Washington late Wednesday, also went twice to the Israeli Embassy to talk securely with officials back home.
U.S. and Israeli officials are working on a document dubbed “the blueprint,” which covers all issues, including Jerusalem, that need to be resolved to let talks go forward. Netanyahu will attempt to sell it to his Cabinet while Mitchell will take it to Arab and Palestinian officials for approval.
