Re-blogged from Israel Matzav

US Secretary of State John FN Kerry was not supposed to meet with either Prime Minister Netanyahu nor with ‘moderate’ ‘Palestinian’ President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen on this trip, since Kerry will be accompanying President Hussein Obama on his trip to our region later this month. But a State Department official told reporters on Monday that when Abu Mazen showed up ‘unexpectedly’ in Riyadh on Sunday, when Kerry just happened to be arriving on Monday, a meeting between the two was quickly arranged (Hat Tip: Will).

Kerry’s tour does not include Israel or the Palestinian territories but he will reportedly accompany US President Barack Obama when he meets Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem and Ramallah during a visit on March 20-22, Abbas “will present the Palestinian point of view to the new US administration ahead of Obama’s visit,” Palestinian envoy in Riyadh Jamal al-Shawbaki told the official Voice of Palestine radio.

Abbas, in his first meeting with Kerry, will also “highlight Israeli violations in Jerusalem, settlements, and the issue of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike,” said Shawbaki.

And for now, at least, Israel will have no opportunity to respond.

What could go wrong?

via Israel Matzav: Unexpectedly! Kerry meets Abu Bluff in Riyadh.

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