June 16 (Reuters) - Michael Oren, Israel's new envoy to Washington, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ready to resume peace talks with Palestinians that would tackle core issues such as borders and the fate of refugees. Here are Israel's positions on key issues at the heart of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as presented by Oren in an interview with Reuters. [nLG842323] WILL NETANYAHU NEGOTIATE ON THE STATUS OF JERUSALEM? "Israel's position has been and remains that Jerusalem will remain the undivided capital of the state of Israel. It is our position." WILL A PALESTINIAN STATE BE ABLE TO CONTROL ITS OWN BORDERS? "We will guard our side of the border in cooperation, one would hope very close cooperation, with Palestinian security forces. Now the Palestinian security forces are not necessarily forces that have tanks and not necessarily forces that have fighter jets, but they have the means at their disposal to guard a border and keep law and order." WILL ISRAELI FORCES REMAIN ON THE BORDER BETWEEN THE FUTURE PALESTINIAN STATE AND JORDAN? "I think in principle the idea will be that the Palestinian government and the Palestinian forces that are loyal to that government will be responsible for internal security within those areas." DO YOU EXPECT THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO DROP ITS DEMAND FOR A TOTAL FREEZE ON SETTLEMENT ACTIVITY? "I'm confident that we will be able to reach an agreement in the near future that will enable us to put the settlement issue aside and to move forward to what I regard as far more substantive issues in the peace process. "Our position has always been that the settlement issue ... is not the core issue. We want to reach an accord on the settlement issue and move forward to more substantive issues." WHAT ARE THE CORE ISSUES FOR ISRAEL? "The question of demilitarisation. It's a core issue. The refugee issue, both the Palestinian refugee issue as well as the Jewish refugee issue -- the Jews who were forced out of Arab lands -- those are core issues. And Jerusalem." (Reporting by Adam Entous)
An internally displaced girl, who fled a military offensive in the Swat valley region, is photographed while standing in line for her ration of tea at the UNHCR (United Nations High ...
Refugees & displacement
