Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is planning to conjduct the first popular referendum
in Israel’s history to ratify the amended peace framework proposal which US
Secretary of State John Kerry is drafting for presentation in the coming weeks,
debkafile reveals.
The prime minister has been quoted as saying that he needs the referendum to push back “domestic pressures from the right”, but in any case he believes it will be politically advantageous. He has confided to his closest circle that for the first time that he is in favor of the Kerry proposals and, although they don’t see eye to eye on many of the issues, he thinks the gaps between them can be bridged.
Netanyahu is counting on the the framework accord gaining an overwhelming popular majority in referendum. Although it is not yet a final-status agreement, the document will lay out principles for solutions of the core issues at dispute between Israel and the Palestinians.
The prime minister has been quoted as saying that he needs the referendum to push back “domestic pressures from the right”, but in any case he believes it will be politically advantageous. He has confided to his closest circle that for the first time that he is in favor of the Kerry proposals and, although they don’t see eye to eye on many of the issues, he thinks the gaps between them can be bridged.
Netanyahu is counting on the the framework accord gaining an overwhelming popular majority in referendum. Although it is not yet a final-status agreement, the document will lay out principles for solutions of the core issues at dispute between Israel and the Palestinians.
After
Netanyahu and Abu Mazen affirm this paper, it will be possible to extend the
negotiating time frame for a final accord by at least another year and so get
past the original nine-month deadline which expires at the end of
April.
