WASHINGTON: The United States on Friday promised not to surprise key Middle Eastern players with a dramatic change in strategy, following reports President Barack Obama was readying a new peace plan.
The Obama administration also shrugged off Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu s late decision to pull out of a nuclear security summit here next week, at a time of rare tension between Washington and its key ally.
National security advisor James Jones told reporters on Air Force One that there had been no decision on whether to unveil a new US approach designed at restarting stalled peacemaking between Israelis and Palestinians.
These are ongoing discussions, and I think that while we have not taken any decision to jumpstart any dramatic shift in our strategy, Jones said.
I think we should make clear that we don t intend to surprise anybody at any time, Jones added saying any steps would be designed to further Israeli security and advance legitimate Palestinian claims for sovereignty.
Several reports in US newspapers this week revived speculation that Obama was preparing to unveil a new US approach, amid US frustration at the tactics of Netanyahu amid a row over Israeli settlement policy in Jerusalem.
One possible approach would be to build on areas of agreement between Israelis and Palestinians established at former president Bill Clinton s Camp David peace summit in 2000.
Jones said Washington understood Netanyahu s reasons for not attending the 47-nation nuclear security summit next week, amid reports the Israeli leader feared Muslim states would demand Israel open up its nuclear sites.
We obviously would like to have had the prime minister, but the deputy prime minister will be leading the delegation and it will be a robust Israeli delegation.
I think that the Israelis did not want to be a catalyst for changing the theme of the summit, Jones said, adding that despite recent rows and Netanyahu s no-show, US-Israeli relations were fine.
Foreign military experts believe Israel has several hundred nuclear weapons, but Israel has long refused to confirm or deny reports of its arsenal. -AFP
