Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested to the US that during the direct Israeli-Palestinian talks he and President Mahmoud Abbas meet every two weeks to agree on principles which can then be discussed by negotiating teams, Israel media reported Friday.
The Jerusalem Post daily quoted the premier as saying that "serious negotiations in the Middle East (require) direct, discreet and continuous talks between the leaders on the key issues."
Netanyahu convened top advisers Thursday night to prepare for the long-awaited direct talks, which are to kick off next Thursday, a day after a summit in Washington, DPA reported.
The Israeli leader decided to set up a small negotiating team to conduct "swift, thorough and serious" talks, with key aide Yitzhak Molcho the chief negotiator in meetings between the Israeli and Palestinian teams.
The Israeli-Palestinian talks, announced one week ago, will be the first direct negotiations between the sides in over a year.
The last round of talks was suspended in late 2008, as Israel entered an election campaign which ultimately brought Netanyahu to power.
Since then, there have been no-face-to-face negotiations, although indirect talks were launched in spring this year, after months of pressure on both sides.
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