Israel agrees to addresss core issues in peace document
JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel has agreed to address core issues of the Middle East conflict in a statement that will form the basis of a planned US-sponsored peace meeting, a senior official said on Thursday.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert retracted his insistence on only a vague document after a meeting on Wednesday with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who wraps up a tour of the region on Thursday, the official said.
The premier agreed to outline solutions "in broad brushstrokes" to all the outstanding issues dividing Israelis and Palestinians -- refugees, Jerusalem and final borders -- in the joint statement to be presented at the conference.
"We will make reference to all the core issues in the joint statement, we will offer directions for the talks, although the statement will not offer the full solution to the questions," the official told AFP.
The two sides are expected to launch negotiations on a final peace agreement that will lead to the creation of a Palestinian state an the resolution of these questions following the conference in Maryland.
The change in Israel's stance marks a success for Rice's efforts to bridge gaps between Israel and the Palestinians, who had demanded a detailed agreement and timeframe for implementing solutions to the core issues.
