Russia Rejects Kerry's Proposal for Quartet to Adopt U.S. Principles on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

"Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's proposal that the Quartet – the United States, Russia, the UN and the European Union – adopt the principles he will present in his speech on the Israeli-Palestinian in Washington on Wednesday afternoon.

Haaretz has learned that Kerry raised the proposal in a telephone call to Lavrov on Tuesday night. It is unclear if Kerry suggested that after the Quartet's announcements of support another resolution would be pushed in the UN Security Council to adopt the principles of the speech...

After the Lavrov-Kerry phone call, which was the 70th between the two since Kerry became secretary of state, the Russian foreign ministry issued an exceptional announcement, in which it detailed its contents.

According to the announcement, Lavrov stressed to Kerry that there is a need for conditions to conduct direct negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, but stressed that internal American politics must not dictate them.

'Lavrov warned against the impact of the U.S. domestic agenda on the Middle East Quartet and the UN Security Council,' the ministry stated. 'He spotlighted harmful attempts to use these platforms for the Democrats' and Republicans' bickering.'

Lavrov's statement echoed some of the fears that have been voiced in recent days by the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem that the Obama administration would likely make additional attempts to advance international steps on the Palestinian issue before Donald Trump becomes president on January 20..."