US tells Israel: Pollard's release is still on the table
By Yuval Bagno - The Jerusalem Post - April 10, 2014
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/US-tells-Israel-Pollards-release-is-still-on-the-table-348192

Indyk tells sides if deal reached, US will consider releasing Israeli agent;
sources confirm that Israel offered deal for extending talks, which includes
releasing prisoners in exchange for freezing unilateral moves.

Sources in Jerusalem confirmed Thursday that Israel has presented the
Palestinians with a new package aimed at extending peace talks, and the US
has not taken the possible release of Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard off of
the table.

A diplomatic source said that "if the Palestinian Authority agrees to stop
its plans to join a number of international treaties and conventions, Israel
will agree to a new prisoner release package in return for the continuation
of negotiations until the end of the year at a minimum."

According to the source, the Palestinians expressed willingness to consider
the compromise offer put on the table by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni.

The emerging deal will allow both sides to "come down from the tree" and
appear publicly as if they did not compromise on their positions.

"This is part of the Israeli suggestion which is now being considered by the
Palestinian side, while at the same time the US mediator sent a message to
Israel - the release of Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard from a US prison is
still a possibility the US administration will consider, if the sides reach
a deal that includes Israel freeing terrorists," the sources said.

The sides are still not close to an agreement due to the Palestinian demand
that Israel freeze settlement construction and due to the fact that the
details of a new prisoner release deal have not been reached.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met again in Jerusalem on Thursday,
along with US envoy to the peace talks, Martin Indyk.

The Prime Minister's Office emphasized Thursday that "if the PA will not
stop its unilateral joining of UN conventions, the prime minister's decision
is clear - unilateral steps will be answered by unilateral steps from our
side. Some of our responses have already com,e and some are still being
prepared and are awaiting approval from the political echelon in the event
that they will be necessary."

The Palestinians are threatening further steps in the international arena
against Israel. Despite tensions with US Secretary of State John Kerry over
his comments earlier this week in which he was perceived to place greater
blame for the crisis in negotiations on the Israeli side, sources in
Jerusalem said: "The crisis which we are trying to get out of is the full
responsibility of the Palestinians , but the prime minister is not
interested in a breakdown in talks, and his goal is to seek their
extension."

The Palestinian negotiating team sent a similar message to the American
mediator Indyk, after he told the sides that the end of the month was the
deadline for arriving at a deal to extend the talks.
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