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Israel, China and the Arab Initiative

For how long will China continue its “business as usual” policy with Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu keeps squandering the Arab Peace Initiative?
China's Premier Li Keqiang (R) toasts with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2nd R) during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 8, 2013. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon (CHINA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXZEQB
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According to unofficial reports, certain progress was made at the talks held earlier this month (May 8) in Rome between Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s representative Isaac Molho and US Secretary of State John Kerry, in which senior officials from Jordan and Qatar also took part. Nonetheless, diplomatic sources caution that the progress regarding negotiation guidelines (a return to the 1967 border and an exchange of territories) is, in fact, a “manipulation” designed to improve Israel’s international standing in order to prepare for a possible attack on Iran.

At the same time, there has been a considerable slowdown of construction in the settlements in the past few months. The Palestinians have set June 6 as the deadline for resumption of the diplomatic process. The Arab League has threatened that if an agreement is not reached until then on the resumption of negotiations over a permanent arrangement, the organization will withdraw its peace initiative and its member states will launch a struggle against Israel on the world stage.

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