Israel there will be no goodwill gestures towards Palestinians

Israel reiterated its refusal to "give in" to demands for gestures of goodwill, and believes the Palestinians are making demands and setting pre-conditions in a clear bid to sabotage the peace talks. "We are ready to discuss everything - in direct talks," Yediot Ahronot Israeli daily reported an official saying, on Thursday. The consensus, according to the official, was 'talks yes, gestures of goodwill no'. Senior officials in Jerusalem, who were present during talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed on Wednesday that Israel does not intend to present any confidence building measures towards the Palestinians, the newspaper added. The sources say the "preliminary demands presented by the Palestinians attest to the fact that they are peace refusniks. We on the other hand are not presenting any pre-conditions, not even recognition of Israel as the national home of the Jewish nation," the daily said. We don't have any pre-conditions but the Palestinians prepared a list with (demands) like a building freeze, release of prisoners, and border deliberations before everything (begins), the newspaper added. "We are ready to discuss everything, but only within the framework of direct talks where we will demand recognition of the Jewish State and declaration of the end of the conflict," the daily reported. Netanyahu has extensive government and cabinet backing. This is why it was decided that no pre-conditions be made on the Israeli side. That said, even before Kerry's arrival, the prime minister refused to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to present the US secretary of state with maps that include the borders he hopes will be included in the permanent agreement, the daily said.