U.S. Working To Help Guarantee Israel’s Security To Restart Peace Talks, Officials Say
“The rationale behind reaching understandings on U.S. security guarantees at this point is to render certain Israeli security demands from the Palestinians moot and thus remove them from the negotiating table,” one person briefed on the effort said. The account was provided to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity because Allen’s meetings were confidential.
Allen’s team was dismayed by the initial Israeli discussions, which participants described as less substantive and less cooperative than U.S. officials were expecting, given that Allen’s job was created to address Israeli security concerns.
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A $10 billion U.S. arms package for Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates announced this year is primarily aimed at countering potential threats from Iran. But its guarantee that Israel will maintain and expand its military edge over even Arab neighbors that are close U.S. partners is a model for a potential future arrangement balancing Israeli and Palestinian concerns, the senior U.S. official said.
The package deal announced by Hagel during a Middle East trip in April includes advanced missiles, refueling tankers and advanced radar for Israeli warplanes. The United States would also provide V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft for Israel that can be used for land and sea border patrol.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-working-to-help-guarantee-israels-security-to-restart-peace-talks-officials-say/2013/06/30/c7f41036-e100-11e2-8ae9-5db15d3c0fca_story_1.html
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