TruthNews

Israel-Palestinian Talks Could Begin Next Week

International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, 4 Mar 2010

After the Arab League gave Palestinian leaders leeway to engage in indirect negotiations with Israel on Wednesday, some reports indicate the US-sponsored "proximity talks" could start as early as next week when Vice President Joe Biden arrives for a visit to Jerusalem.

US special Mideast envoy George Mitchell will arrive in the region this coming weekend to begin preparing for Biden’s visit and is hoping the two sides will declare the beginning of talks on Sunday, ahead of Biden’s stopover on Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu told the Knesset yesterday that "it seems the conditions for proximity talks are ripening." On Thursday, he also told the weekly cabinet meeting, "I'm glad that we have made progress and things have matured."

Meantime, Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas had insisted for months that he would not resume talks with Netanyahu’s government until it imposed a total settlement freeze in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, but the Arab League’s decision now gives him the political cover to back down from that ultimatum and proceed with talks. It appears the PA is seriously preparing for that possibility, as Abbas is reportedly holding consultations with map experts and other specialists in Ramallah so as to be ready to immediately raise the issue of permanent borders.

Netanyahu insisted yesterday that the international community was well aware Israel wants to advance the talks, but that the PA was holding things up by making "demands that they had never made previously since the first day of negotiations 16 years ago." He added that the prospects of renewed talks would have no impact on his plans to include the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb among the list of Heritage Sites to be preserved by the government.

"The Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb have been a part of our heritage for 4,000 years. We must allow the younger generation to connect to that heritage."

The PA responded, however, that "these sites are an inseparable part of Palestinian land which has been occupied since 1967. The PA has turned to all the international bodies to demand that they oppose Israel’s decision," it stated in an appeal for the EU intervention.