related articles
Mar.23,2013 | 10:00 PM | 
6
By Reuters | Mar.23,2013 | 10:00 PM | 46
Mar.23,2013 | 10:00 PM | 2
The Palestinians are lowering their expectations ahead of the new round of talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, aimed at renewing peace negotiations with Israel, Haaretz has learned on Saturday.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met on Saturday with Kerry in Amman, and not in Ramallah as some previously expected.
The Palestinian Ma'an news agency reported that the two discussed ways to advance talks between Israel and the Palestinians and continuing the dialog began by U.S. President Barack Obama during his visit to Israel and the West Bank.
Abbas, Haaretz has learned, left for Amman with a small team that did not include any of the senior Palestinian negotiators, such as Saeb Erekat and Mohammed Eshtaya, indicating that the Palestinians are lowering their expectations regarding the outcome of the meeting.
"There was a lowering of expectations since the beginning," a senior Palestinian official told Haaretz. "But after meeting the president [Obama] and his team we can say that we feel a lack of initiative, and that, at this point, we expect to receive answers from the Americans and the Israelis in the near future."
At the same time, the Palestinians are planning to expand their non-violent resistance against the Israeli occupation, especially in the Jerusalem area.
In the upcoming week, the Palestinian plan to hold a "Palestinian Via Dolorosa" parade in the Old City of Jerusalem to mark the beginning of the Easter celebrations, according to the Gregorian calendar. Christian clergy and members of Christian communities from Jerusalem and the West Bank will reportedly take part in the demonstration.
Also on Saturday, dozens of activists celebrated the marriage of a young Palestinian from Jenin and his significant other from Hebron. The two were married in the Palestinian protest camp erected in the West Bank E-1 corridor ahead of Obama's visit.
Leading Palestinian activist Abdullah Abu Rahma said that the wedding is a sign of their will to lead their life in the camp and guarantee Palestinian presence in the corridor, where Israel plans to expand existing settlements.
The activists had already received eviction orders by the Israel Defense Force, requesting they would peacefully clear the grounds, after the area was declared a closed military zone.
In the past, such camps were immediately removed by the IDF, but it seems that this time, due to Obama's visit, the camp was left standing.
