  {"id":202297,"date":"2014-06-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T18:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?p=202297"},"modified":"2019-03-12T18:20:29","modified_gmt":"2019-03-12T18:20:29","slug":"auto-insert-202297","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/auto-insert-202297\/","title":{"rendered":"DoS Spokesperson discusses US Middle East Envoy Indyk&#8217;s resignation, the pause in the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and the US commitment to making progress &#8211; USDoS press briefing\/Non-UN document (excerpts)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:4px;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">\n<hr height=\"7px\" \/>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>Marie Harf<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>Deputy Spokesperson<br \/>\nDaily Press Briefing<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>Washington, DC<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>June 27, 2014<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">\/&#8230;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.state.gov\/r\/pa\/prs\/dpb\/2014\/06\/228539.htm\" style=\"color:#0060a0;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\"><strong>MIDDLE EAST PEACE<\/strong><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<ul type=\"disc\" style=\"margin-left:-20px;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">\n<li style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">Ambassador Indyk Resignation \/ Pause in Negotiations \/ Commitment to Making Progress<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">\/&#8230;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>TRANSCRIPT:<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>1:35 p.m. EDT<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">\/&#8230;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Ambassador Indyk resignation.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Yes.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;We saw the Secretary&#8217;s statement. We didn&#8217;t see the word &#8220;resignation&#8221; or &#8220;resign.&#8221; Why?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Right, because you all like to use words that aren&#8217;t always accurate.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Why? He didn&#8217;t resign today?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, he will technically, I think, probably &#8211; no, yeah. Yeah. The AP had a line particularly &#8211; the term &#8220;quit&#8221; I think is a little negative in tone. But yes &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;(Off-mike.)<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Huh?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well one, I don&#8217;t write headlines. (Laughter.) But two &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;I know you don&#8217;t, I know you don&#8217;t.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">Wait, just going back to that, he will be &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8220;Quit&#8221; also means &#8220;to leave.&#8221;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, it has a negative connotation.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, it isn&#8217;t intended to be negative.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Okay.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">He will be leaving his post here. I&#8217;m not sure bureaucratically, technically what he has to do, whether that&#8217;s submit a letter of resignation. It probably is. But he will be returning to the Brookings Institute. Frank Lowenstein, who many of you know, who has worked for the Secretary for a decade now &#8211; was his chief of staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has been very involved in these negotiations &#8211; will be serving as the acting special envoy. Ambassador Indyk will continue to work closely with the Secretary on these issues from his position at Brookings.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;But as a paid &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;So what was the reason why?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;As a paid advisor, or just &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;No, not to my knowledge is he &#8211; I don&#8217;t believe he&#8217;s going to be paid.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;(Off-mike.)<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;So then he did &#8211; I mean &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;I think he probably will technically have to, yes.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;He didn&#8217;t &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Why are you using &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;He&#8217;s not taking a leave of absence. Let me check on the bureaucratic paperwork here.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Okay.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Uh-huh.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Why do you think he stayed long time after the failure of the peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, we&#8217;re in a pause right now.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;No. It took him more than two months to resign or to leave this position.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Right.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Why is that?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;But that&#8217;s why I said we&#8217;re in a pause in the negotiations right now. And I think he&#8217;s been working intensively with the parties to see if they could come back to the table in a meaningful way, and we haven&#8217;t been able to get there yet. So he will continue advising the Secretary on this, but will be going back to Brookings for the time being.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;(Off-mike.)<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Can we assume that this was his decision?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Yes.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;That &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;That yes, it was his decision.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Okay, so &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;I just want to clarify &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8212; what was the justification?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Wait, wait, wait, Said. Let me do Roz first.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;So what was his justification when he told the Secretary that he would be returning to Brookings? Did he say &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, it was a decision they made together.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, did he say, for example, I keep talking to both sides and neither side is willing to even come back into the same room &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8212; to acknowledge each other&#8217;s existence?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;In general, I&#8217;m not going to get into the specific language he used, but it, since the negotiations have been suspended, seemed to be an appropriate time for him to return to his job at Brookings. At this point, there are no current plans to find a permanent replacement for him. As I said, Frank Lowenstein will continue as acting special envoy.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, if there&#8217;s no plan &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;But is he &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;If there&#8217;s no plan to find a permanent representative, does that mean that for all intents and purposes the talks are dead, and not in a pause?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;No. No, I wouldn&#8217;t say that. Look, the Secretary and the President, certainly, are still committed to trying to make progress here. We&#8217;re still deeply engaged with both of the parties to see if they can get back to the table. That process is ongoing, it will continue. But again, this seemed like an appropriate time for him to return to Brookings.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;So is that &#8211; well, so why would Frank Lowenstein, if he &#8211; how can he be acting if there are no plans to find a permanent &#8211; you&#8217;re going to just have a permanent acting person? Why not just give Frank Lowenstein the job or just not have a special envoy?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, I don&#8217;t have anything to preview in terms of what might happen down the road. But obviously, if folks remember, Frank was also a senior advisor to the Secretary last summer when the talks got restarted. So he&#8217;s been very involved in the process.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;(Inaudible.)<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;So I don&#8217;t understand what the point of having an acting is. Why not either give him the job or not have a job?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, we&#8217;ll make decisions about what that job will look like in the coming days and weeks, I think.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Marie &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;The title of &#8220;acting&#8221; is &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Hold on, Roz. Let me go to Said.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Sure.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Could you clarify for us if the team&#8217;s still &#8211; is here?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;It is.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;I mean, David Makovsky, Phil Gordon. I mean, all the others that are members of the team.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Phil Gordon works at the White House.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;I understand, but he was sort of &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Yeah. He certainly works on this issue.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8212; loaned out to work. Right.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Yeah. A lot of the folks you all are familiar with are still part of the team. They&#8217;re all still working. This is just Ambassador Indyk going back to Brookings.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Okay. So although the talks are suspended, the team is still in place.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;The team is still in place.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Okay.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;They&#8217;re still engaged with both parties. That&#8217;s why, look, this is a pause. It is a tough time. We&#8217;ve said that since the talks did go on a pause, but they&#8217;re still very deeply engaged.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Are there &#8211; is there any engagement ongoing now by the team &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;There is.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8212; and the Palestinians and the Israelis?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;There absolutely is. We&#8217;re not going to outline all of it, but there is.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">Yes, Roz. Sorry.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Is there &#8211; how much credibility can Mr. Lowenstein have if he is an acting person? How much authority can he convey as the interlocutor during this period?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;As I just, he was a senior advisor to the Secretary when we got talks restarted last summer before Ambassador Indyk came on. So Frank has been deeply engaged with both parties, has very good relationships with the Israelis and the Palestinians, and I don&#8217;t think our interlocutors always look at the title. I think they look at the person and the relationship they&#8217;ve built with them, and they&#8217;ve certainly built a very strong one with Frank.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;But certainly, wouldn&#8217;t that &#8211; having the formal job as Elise was suggesting &#8211; make it easier for one negotiator to return to his or her government, as the case may be, and say the Americans are suggesting that we take a look at the issue this way? Doesn&#8217;t it come with more weight?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;I don&#8217;t think the presence of that word in his title affects his credibility or his influence in any way, shape, or form. He&#8217;s been deeply engaged with both sides, has a lot of credibility with both sides. Again, he was playing the key role with the Secretary when the talks got restarted, so I think he absolutely &#8211; people know that when he speaks on this issue, he has the full confidence and backing and is speaking for the Secretary.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;This is the second run at trying to broker some sort of peace deal between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Is the Administration going to try for a third time?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, the second effort at this is still ongoing. While the direct negotiations have taken a pause, our efforts behind the scenes to work with both parties to get them back to the table are ongoing. It&#8217;s challenging, certainly, but we&#8217;re still in discussions and we&#8217;re still in negotiations talking to them about how they could do that.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;And one more. The Secretary&#8217;s statement alluded to the progress that was made while Ambassador Indyk was in the position. What are they?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, in general, we were able to define the gaps between the two parties on all the core issues in a fairly detailed and significant way. That&#8217;s something that we broadly knew before that, but I think was one of the things we would say was important. You can&#8217;t bridge gaps until you&#8217;ve defined them.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">Also, American bridging ideas were developed in negotiations with the different parties to try and make progress on some of those gaps. Now again, we are in a pause. We haven&#8217;t been able to move forward with that. But these are key parts and components of the process that need to happen in order to eventually get to a deal.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;That&#8217;s a pretty low bar for saying &#8220;progress.&#8221;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, you&#8217;re happy to do your own analysis on this, Matt.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Really? Defining the gaps? You didn&#8217;t know them before?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;I don&#8217;t think for the two &#8211; specifically defining them. Specific areas, really drilling down on what those might look like. I do think that for those two parties, sitting down and talking about that directly is significant progress.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Really? Okay. So you didn&#8217;t realize before &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Again, you can do your own analysis on it, but I would say that that is progress.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, let&#8217;s just take one of the issues: right of return, right?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;We&#8217;re not going to get into specifics on any of the issues.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;The Israelis say no way, no right of return; the Palestinians say we have to have it. There&#8217;s the gap right there.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, they say something &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;And you learned more?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;They say certain things publicly, Matt. But privately, when you drill down on specifics on all the issues and where the gaps actually lie &#8211; those are broad gaps. We&#8217;re talking about specifics. It&#8217;s very different. We think there was progress made, but clearly much more work to do.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;So you think that you define &#8211; so you think that there was some &#8211; you got more information that you were able to &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Absolutely.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8212; about every single one of the points of contention.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;About all of the gaps, yes. We do.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;And &#8211; but &#8211; and you call that progress? Isn&#8217;t progress &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;I think more information on gaps is progress, yes.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well isn&#8217;t &#8211; no, isn&#8217;t progress actually narrowing the gaps?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, that&#8217;s part of what progress will look like. But in any negotiation, you have to define the problem specifically before you can go about narrowing those gaps, and that&#8217;s certainly what we did here.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, I don&#8217;t know, but it just seems to me that &#8211; and I think to most of the world that the problem is obvious.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, but within each of those issues, Matt, it&#8217;s &#8211; it may be obvious to you, but what those gaps actually look like is quite complicated. If it were as obvious to you as you seem to make it seem, we would&#8217;ve done this a long time ago. So while I appreciate your analysis of how simple the situation is, when you get in that room and you say, &#8220;Let&#8217;s look at these issues; let&#8217;s look at all of them in detail,&#8221; those specific gaps in where we cannot come to agreement are what will define the negotiation progress going forward.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;And we hadn&#8217;t done that in the current situation until this last round.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;But that&#8217;s not &#8211; I mean, I&#8217;m not the one who&#8217;s saying that progress was made. You guys are.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;No, I am. Exactly.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Exactly. So &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;You&#8217;re disagreeing with my analysis here.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;I&#8217;m saying &#8211; I&#8217;m not. I&#8217;m just saying that I don&#8217;t see how you can call defining the gaps that you already knew progress.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;We didn&#8217;t know them at this level at &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;The bar is very low, Matt.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;We didn&#8217;t &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Apparently so. Or non-existent.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;(Off-mike.)<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;I mean, just &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;We didn&#8217;t &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;I&#8217;ll drop it. I just &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;We didn&#8217;t know the specificities &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;(Off-mike.)<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Wait. Wait. We didn&#8217;t know the specificities at this level in all of the issues. No, we had not had those specific-level conversations with the two parties in the same room for a long time.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Since Camp David?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Let me ask you a question on this.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Yeah, Said.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Not to belabor the issue, but if the talks &#8211; should the talks restart &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Yeah.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8212; any time soon, will you have to start all over again, or will you begin from where you ended?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Well, the goal certainly is always to build on the progress you&#8217;ve already made.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;I &#8211; no, I mean, what is the perception? That you will begin from where the talks ended, or will you begin anew?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;That&#8217;s &#8211; well, again, those discussions are going on right now, what it might look like if the parties come back to the table.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Because every time there seems to be a round of talks, they start all over again. I mean, are you closer, let&#8217;s say, on Jerusalem? Are you closer on the issue of asylum?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;I&#8217;m not going to go into any of the specifics on the issues. I think we&#8217;ve exhausted this topic.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Marie.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Yes.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;In his statement, Secretary Kerry has said that the United States remain &#8211; or remains committed not just to the case of peace, but to resuming the process when the parties find a path back to serious negotiations.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF:<\/strong>&nbsp;Absolutely.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Does this mean that Mr. Lowenstein will be waiting for the two parties to find a path forward &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF: <\/strong>Well, we&#8217;re working with him to find that region.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8212; to call him back to the region? Or he will initiate a plan or &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF: <\/strong>Well &#8211; oh, in terms of his travel. Well, we&#8217;re engaged with the parties, whether it&#8217;s from here or on the ground, to try and get them back to the table. Beyond that, I don&#8217;t have any more specifics.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Can I change the subject?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF: <\/strong>Yeah.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;(Off-mike.)<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Sure.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Just on Frank&#8217;s position, you said that he&#8217;s acting. Is he going to be dealing with other issues as well? Is he going to be given &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF: <\/strong>Than Middle East peace?<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Than Middle East peace.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF: <\/strong>Not to my knowledge.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Just full time on &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF: <\/strong>No, not to my knowledge.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>QUESTION:<\/strong>&nbsp;Can I &#8212;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>MS. HARF: <\/strong>I think that&#8217;s enough for one person.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#2f2f2f;text-align:left;padding-bottom:4px;font-size:8pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">\/&#8230;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align:left;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.state.gov\/r\/pa\/prs\/dpb\/2014\/06\/228539.htm\" style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:6pt;font-family:Verdana, san-serif;\">http:\/\/www.state.gov\/r\/pa\/prs\/dpb\/2014\/06\/228539.htm<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marie Harf Deputy Spokesperson Daily Press Briefing Washington, DC June 27, 2014 \/&#8230; MIDDLE EAST PEACE Ambassador Indyk Resignation \/ Pause in Negotiations \/ Commitment to Making Progress \/&#8230; TRANSCRIPT: 1:35 p.m. EDT \/&#8230; QUESTION:&nbsp;Ambassador Indyk resignation. MS. HARF:&nbsp;Yes. QUESTION:&nbsp;We saw the Secretary&#8217;s statement. We didn&#8217;t see the word &#8220;resignation&#8221; or &#8220;resign.&#8221; Why? MS. HARF:&nbsp;Right, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/auto-insert-202297\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[897,2553],"document-category":[2197,2565,1869],"document-source":[],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[2181,1797,1905],"entity":[1985],"document-language":[6542],"class_list":["post-202297","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","country-israel","country-united-states-of-america","document-category-briefing","document-category-press-briefing","document-category-transcript","document-subject-negotiations-and-agreements","document-subject-peace-process","document-subject-peace-proposals-and-efforts","entity-state","document-language-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/202297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/202297\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=202297"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=202297"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=202297"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=202297"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=202297"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=202297"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=202297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}