Quartet envoys cancel visit at Netanyahu's request

Israeli officials said it ‘is not a good time’ for mediation, Western diplomat says

A delegation of Mideast Quartet diplomats who were set to arrive this week canceled their visit per a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The envoys were to meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials in Jerusalem and Ramallah in order to try to help calm the unrest that has plagued Israel and the West Bank in recent weeks.

Netanyahu’s request that the Quartet cancel the visit was attributed to its timing. Quartet diplomats were supposed to meet with national security adviser Yossi Cohen, Netanyahu’s adviser Yitzhak Molcho, and senior Foreign Ministry officials, as well as senior officials in the Palestinian Authority.

“The Israelis told us that this is not a good time to talk about diplomatic matters,” a Western diplomat told the Haaretz daily. “Apparently they were also concerned that the visit of Quartet envoys would increase international pressure on Israel.”

A Palestinian official confirmed to AP that the visit had been called off.

The Middle East Quartet comprises the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia and is tasked with resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through diplomatic mediation.

The prime minister told chief EU diplomat Federica Mogherini on Sunday that it wasn’t feasible to send the diplomats to the region now because of the spike in violence. The cancellation was confirmed on Monday afternoon.

In her conversation with Netanyahu, Mogherini urged calm and restraint, and asked that he “avoid actions which would fuel the tensions even further,” the EU said in a statement. “Too many people have died already and too many families were left bereaved.”

She condemned the terror attacks on Israeli civilians but emphasized that Israeli responses should be proportionate.

The Quartet may reschedule the visit for two weeks hence, Haaretz said.