Official: Israeli PM tells ministers to halt meetings with Palestinian counterparts
JERUSALEM – An Israeli government official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told his ministers to stop holding meetings and talks with their Palestinian counterparts.
The official says the move is in response to what Israel has called a “provocative” Palestinian bid to join U.N. agencies.
Israel blames the Palestinians for the current disarray in the U.S.-brokered peace talks.
Under Netanyahu’s order, Cabinet ministers and their ministry directors can no longer meet Palestinian counterparts, though lower-level contacts will continue. The sides frequently work on day-to-day issues like the environment and security.
The government official says Israel’s chief peace negotiator, Tzipi Livni, will be an exception from Netanyahu’s order.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
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