Azerbaijan, Baku, April 7 / Trend U. Sadikhova /
The United States' requirements to Israel on the issue of indirect talks with the Palestinians are not the reason why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not meet with President Barack Obama in Washington.
Most of the leaders coming to Washington will not be able to hold working meetings with president Obama. We met with president Obama a week ago, the Israeli government official Mark Regev told Trend.
But Regev excludes the possibility that the meeting will not take place because of U.S. pressure on Israel concerning the launch of indirect talks with the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will participate in the summit on nuclear safety, to be held in Washington on Monday with leaders from 47 countries.
Israeli diplomatic sources said the pressure from the Obama administration on the Israeli government to respond to U.S. demands to launch indirect talks with the Palestinians, the Arabic newspaper "Al Quds Al Arabi" reported today.
If Israel does not reply, Washington will take unilateral steps in resuming the peace process, which stalled after the Israeli government's refusal to freeze construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Ramallah considers it the capital of a future state, the newspaper said.
Washington proposed a four indirect talks, but the Palestinians will agree to them only after the cessation of Israeli settlement activity.