TEL AVIV, April 9 (RIA Novosti) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed government ministers to refrain from meeting with their Palestinian counterparts amid a breakdown of peace talks, an Israeli government source said Wednesday.
The move is not expected to hinder the work of negotiators led by Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, which maintain permanent contacts with Palestinian officials in an effort to agree on conditions for continuing the negotiations.
“The order to avoid meetings with Palestinian officials comes in response to Palestinian violations of their commitment to the peace negotiations with Israeli government ministers,” the source told RIA Novosti on the condition of anonymity.
Last week, Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas formally requested membership in 15 international organizations and treaties for the State of Palestine.
Israel said the move affirming Palestinian sovereignty was in violation of an agreement on resuming the peace process, warning of potential sanctions. Palestinian officials blamed Israelis for the collapse of the peace negotiations, citing the refusal to free the last 26 of 104 Palestinian prisoners pardoned under an agreement last year.
On Monday, Palestine’s ambassador to Russia proposed a revision to the format of negotiations with Israel by returning focus to the international “quartet” of intermediaries, as part of an effort to boost the involvement of Russia and the EU in the peace process.
In November 2012, the UN General Assembly recognized Palestine as a sovereign independent state. Netanyahu later demanded that Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
