Israel pledged to support the Middle East Quartet's plan to renew peace talks within a month without preconditions. At the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said he welcomed the Quartet's plan to renew direct negotiations between the sides. A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Bureau called on the Palestinian Authority to enter direct negotiations without delay. Two issues which cause concern in Israel are the timetable which allocates three months for negotiations on borders and security issues and the fact that the question of the Palestinian refugees and recognition of a Jewish state are scheduled to be addressed in a later stage in talks.
