Israeli President Peres meets US Secretary of Homeland Security

(3 Jan 2011) SHOTLIST
1. Mid of US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano walking into room with delegates
2. Close-up of Napolitano, pull out to mid of Napolitano talking to delegate
3. Wide of Israeli President Shimon Peres entering meeting room and shaking hands with delegates
4. Close-up of US and Israel flags on table
5. Close-up of handshake between Napolitano and Peres, pull out to mid
6. Mid of delegates seated in meeting, pan across room to Napolitano and Peres during talks
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Janet Napolitano, US Secretary of Homeland Security:
"The US and Israel have a strong and enduring partnership and the reason for my visit is to make sure that all the things that we are doing in partnership with Israel...."
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Shimon Peres, Israeli President:
"Concerns that peace negotiations or the attempts to renew the peace negotiations between us and the Palestinians; I do believe it's essential and important and urgent, because many of the countries that support terror are using the Israeli ticket as an excuse, as a cover. We should not give them this excuse."
7. Mid of Napolitano and Peres, pull out to wide
8. Wide exterior of the residence of the Israeli President
STORYLINE
Israeli President Shimon Peres told US officials on Monday attempts to renew stalled Middle East peace talks are "essential, important and urgent".
Peres made his comments during a meeting with US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano on Monday in Jerusalem, where the pair discussed strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
"Concerns that peace negotiations or the attempts to renew the peace negotiations between us and the Palestinians; I do believe it's essential and important and urgent, because many of the countries that support terror are using the Israeli ticket as an excuse, as a cover. We should not give them this excuse," Peres told Napolitano.
Peres' comments come a day after Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday proposed a nonstop, face-to-face talks with the Palestinian president until a peace agreement is reached - offering a possible way to advance talks that have stalled over the construction of Jewish settlements.
Netanyahu's proposal offers the appeal of leaders working together to make history, and it comes in response to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' latest claim - made over the weekend in South America - that genuine talks could yield a deal within months.
But the Palestinians showed little enthusiasm for Netanyahu's offer.
Abbas' chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said Netanyahu's offer amounted to little more than an empty declaration.
He called on the Israeli leader to spell out a vision of peace, and specifically to commit to a near-complete withdrawal from the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
In his comments Sunday, Netanyahu urged the Palestinians to turn their focus away from settlements and instead work with him on the broader issues needed to reach a final peace deal.
Netanyahu said he was ready to sit with Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, for "continuous direct one-on-one negotiations until white smoke is wafting," an allusion to the Vatican's custom for announcing a new pope.
Netanyahu did not spell out details, but his new approach would be based on the idea that all the outstanding issues would be on the table, as opposed to the Palestinian approach of demanding a settlement freeze and general agreement on borders before talks resume.
But the US-brokered talks broke down just three weeks later with the expiration of a limited Israeli freeze on settlement construction.

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