AMMAN, Jordan, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Negotiations between Israel and Palestine soured this week as the two sides discussed potential borders to create two nations, officials said.
On Wednesday, Israeli officials told their Palestinian counterparts -- under their plan for drawing borders -- existing Palestinian settlements would become part of Israel, The New York Times reported.
"Our starting point is the 1967 borders with minor swaps and theirs is the wall and settlements," a Palestinian official said, referring to a wall Israel has been building for the past 10 years along and inside the West Bank. "In some ways, this is their way of reframing the occupation."
The offer "effectively abandons international law and the framework we have been focused on for the past 20 years," the official told the Times on condition of anonymity.
An Israeli official, also unnamed, defended the offer, saying, "The principle we laid out on Wednesday is that the majority of Palestinians should be on the Palestinian side and the majority of Jews on our side. These are preliminary discussions. The Palestinians have asked for clarification. We have asked for clarifications from them on some things as well. And we hope that in the coming weeks these talks will continue."
Talks between Israel and Palestine, held by Jordan and overseen by the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States, were held for both sides to present their approach to borders and security this week.
