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Indirect ME talks begin

Posted on: Mon May 10, 2010

RAMALLAH, West Bank: Israel and the Palestinians formally launched indirect peace talks on Sunday as the United States warned both sides against doing anything to jeopardise a process won after months of arduous shuttle diplomacy and false starts.    

 The proximity talks have started, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said after a meeting between Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and US envoy George Mitchell in the West Bank city of Ramallah.    

 Today, on May 9, the negotiations have begun at the level of the president (Abbas) and (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu, he added, while stressing that there would be no direct contact between the parties.    

In the first comment from Washington since it brokered the return to dialogue, both Israel and the Palestinians were cautioned they would be held accountable if they did anything to seriously undermine trust.     

 As both parties know, if either takes significant actions during the proximity talks that we judge would seriously undermine trust, we will respond to hold them accountable and ensure that negotiations continue, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said in a statement.    

Proximity talks were originally due to start in March but the Palestinians pulled out after Israel publicised plans to build 1,600 settler homes in annexed east al-Quds.    

The Palestinians only agreed to consider fresh talks after receiving US assurances that the Al-Quds settlement expansion plan would be frozen.    

The indirect talks, which both sides are hoping will revive the peace process after a 17-month break, are expected to cover all final-status issues, including borders, security and al-Quds.    

The way was opened for both sides to move ahead on Saturday when the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) gave its backing to the start of indirect talks with Israel.     Both parties are taking some steps to help create an atmosphere that is conducive to successful talks, including president Abbas statement that he will work against incitement of any sort and Prime Minister Netanyahu s statement that there will be no construction at the Ramat Shlomo project for two years, Crowley said. The Palestinians reiterated there would be no direct contacts for now. There are no negotiations between us and the Israeli government, Erakat said.

 The discussions will be held with Mitchell and the Americans, and they will mediate between the two sides.     

Mitchell, who left for Washington shortly after the talks, will return to the region next week to orchestrate the planned four months of indirect talks in the form of shuttle diplomacy.    

There is very little expectation on either side that the process will produce tangible results other than a possible resumption of direct negotiations.    

 If we didn t have any hope, we wouldn t have got involved in the (indirect) talks. But we don t have any illusions, a senior Palestinian official told AFP on condition of anonymity, while stressing the difficulty of obtaining anything from the Netanyahu government.     

Addressing Israel s weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu welcomed the Palestinian decision to move forward, but stressed the need to open direct negotiations.    

 The proximity talks must lead swiftly to direct talks, the hawkish premier said, adding that peace cannot be made from a distance or by remote control.    

 It is inconceivable that we will make decisions and agreements on critical issues such as security and our national interests, and theirs as well, without sitting together in the same room.     

News that the talks had begun drew an angry response from the Islamist movement Hamas which rules the Gaza Strip.

Hamas called the new round of negotiations a very bad step for the Palestinians.

 It is an escape route for the Netanyahu government which has been going through a big crisis, especially after the international requests for it to stop settlement activities and other violations, spokesman Fawzi Barhum told AFP in Gaza City.    

The last time the two sides held direct negotiations was in November 2007 following a seven-year hiatus, but the talks collapsed just over a year later when Israel launched a deadly assault on Gaza aimed at halting rocket attacks.

Courtesy : The News