According to Israeli media sources, an unnamed US official has said that Washington’s special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Martin Indyk, will be leaving his duties, the negotiating team dissolved.On Wednesday, Israeli news site Maariv quoted a top official as saying that Indyk was ending his duties due to the ‘failure’ of the peace process, for which he holds Israel primarily responsible.
According to Ma’an, the official also said that, following Indyk’s departure, a senior adviser to Secretary of State John Kerry on Middle East issues, Frank Lowenstein, would be receiving future contacts with the Palestinian Authority.
In addition, based on the estimates of the US administration, the report stated that negotiations are stalled and will not be restarted under John Kerry, but that the possibility may still exist under a new Secretary of State.
Indyk will return to his role at the Brookings Institute, Ma’an further reports, where he previously held a role as vice president and director of Foreign Policy before serving as a Middle East peace envoy.
Direct talks, mediated by the United States, formally ended on April 29.
