Negotiators from Israel, Palestine meet in Amman

AMMAN

Jordan has nudged Israeli and Palestinian negotiators back to discussions on the peace process, a government official said yesterday, adding that the two sides had met in Amman during the night.

“Israeli and Palestinian officials met last night in Amman for discussions,” the official told Agence France-Presse, speaking on condition of anonymity. Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said April 4 in an interview with state television that “Jordanian diplomacy has succeeded in breaking the deadlock as the two sides are having discussions now. They are discussions and not talks.” Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been on hold since September 2010, but Jordan and the peacemaking Quartet sponsored several rounds of meetings between envoys from each side in January. Israeli and Palestinian officials said on April 4 that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to meet with Palestinian premier Salam Fayyad in coming weeks.