Israel has, so far, been unwilling to suggest a counter-proposal to a recent Palestinian offer on the borders of a Palestinian state, based on the pre-1967 war lines, which was submitted to the Middle East Quartet that comprises the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Nov. 14 handed Quartet envoys two documents with their proposals, which included a 1.9 percent land swap, according to the Ynet news site.

However, after two rounds of visits to the region, Quartet interlocutors have seemingly made scant progress in getting Israel to submit proposals on borders and security issues by an end-of- January deadline.

The positions would serve as opening positions in subsequent talks between the two sides, according to the Quartet plan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly refusing to respond to the offer, according to negotiator Issac Molcho, considering it an evasion of Israel's insistence on direct talks to solve the issues involved, the Haaretz daily noted.

But, even if Israel were to make a counter-offer, one PNA official remained pessimistic. "Even if Netanyahu submits a document due to the pressure that is mounted on him, I am positive that it will be far from satisfactory and also unacceptable by the international community," the official was quoted by the Yediot Aharonot daily as saying Thursday.

Netanyahu, in a telephone call on Thursday to Knesset parliament opposition chief, Tzipi Livni, who a day earlier met with Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan, said that "If the Palestinians want to hold negotiations, the only way to do so is with the elected government in Israel."

The statement, released by the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday, said that Livni called in order to brief the prime minister on her meeting.

Her Kadima Party released a statement saying that she urged Abbas to return to talks with Israel.

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