US stresses facilitation role in Israeli Palestinian peace talks

The United States on Monday insisted on its facilitation role in ongoing peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians, proclaiming progress being made toward a final-status agreement. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf made the remarks in response to press reports streaming from Israel that claim the Obama administration plans to present in January its own plan for a draft framework agreement on permanent status between the Israelis and the Palestinians. "I think what we've always said is that these are direct talks between the two sides, and that we are playing a facilitation role when it's appropriate," she said at a regular news briefing. "That means we're in some meetings, we're not in some meetings, " she explained, adding "There's a lot of misinformation out there about the process and reports about what the U.S. may do in the future." She said the talks "are making progress" and the two sides are committed to a nine-month timeframe. "We've seen each side take positive steps towards that end," Harf said. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is set to arrive in Israel Tuesday for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, three months after he announced the resumption of direct negotiations between the parties. The two sides have since held 15 meetings as they seek to achieve a final-status agreement within nine months.