Mideast peace talks could begin as early as Sunday

[oberliner]

Indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority may begin as early as Sunday, Haaretz had learned. U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell will land in Israel on Saturday night, and the American administration is hoping the sides will declare the beginning of indirect talks the following morning, ahead of the arrival of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Monday.

The foreign ministers of the Arab League announced in Cairo Wednesday they were supporting the American initiative for indirect negotiations, qualifying their support with a four-month deadline. They said no progress will be possible without a complete settlement freeze.

The announcement came after heavy American, Egyptian, Jordanian and Saudi pressure was put on the Palestinians and on other members of the League. The pressure also resulted in the Palestinians' withdrawing a much tougher and reserved statement about the negotiations than the one eventually released. The Arab League decision was not unanimous and was strongly contested by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, who went as far as to interrupt when Amr Moussa, the secretary general of the Arab League, was reading out the statement, to say the decision on entering negotiations rested ultimately with the PA.

The foreign ministers set a four-month deadline for the first phase of indirect negotiations after which the Arab League will assess the progress of the talks and decide whether to offer further support.

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1153821.html

[azurnoir]

1. I wish Mr Mitchell luck, he will need it n/t

[oberliner]

2. I'd feel a lot more optimistic if Livni was PM

For all her problems, she at least seemed willing to make some compromises that Netanyahu appears unwilling to make (especially considering who some of his coalition partners are).

[ProgressiveMuslim]

8. 15,000 illegal settler houses instead of 30,000?

[oberliner]

9. What is your vision for how to make peace a reality?

What are the steps that you envision to get to what you consider a fair and equitable peace?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

11. I am not interested in peace that lead to a better economy, or a few less checkpoints.

My goal isn't to make live more palatable for Israelis and few lucky Palestinians.

My goal is for Palestinians to live under the rule of law in a democratic society. I don't know that that can be in an independent state next to Israel anymore.

I think it's time to officially put Oslo on the dungheap of history. Take a "peace process moratorium." National unity must precede peace talks. Time to expose Israel's divide and conquer policy of dealing only with the PA in the West Bank, while it ignores Gaza.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

3. Peace talks with a president of half the people with an expired term? Why bother? nt

[Douglas Carpenter]

4. Peace talks with an Israeli leader who has already ruled out any possibility of removing any settler

or continuing any very limited settlement freeze, who ruled out any compromise on Jerusalem and has just recently said that Israel must keep the Jordan Valley - peace talks with an Israeli government that doesn't even consider the possibility of any other arrangement than a settlement that removes the possibility of any Palestinian control over their borders or their capital and leaves the entire West Bank cut up into disconnected - nonviable bantustans -

How can their be talks about the two-state solution with a government that has effectively ruled out any possibility of there ever being anything remotely resembling an actual two-state solution?

As Noam Chomsky said, "There is no business like the peace process business."

[LeftishBrit]

5. Peace talks...

between a hardline former terrorist Israeli, and an Arab leader who had *already* waged war against Israel?

Peace talks between a representative of a harshly xenophobic Communist dictatorship, and an American RW Republican with close links to McCarthyism?

Peace talks between fanatically anti-Catholic religious-rightie Protestants, and leaders of the political wing of the IRA?

All these would have seemed equally impossible at one time - yet in the end they happened and worked. And Mitchell was one of the people who helped with the last one.

I am not *that* hopeful given the weaknesses and divisions of both governments; but there's no point in not trying. Stranger things have happened.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

13. There is a definite reason to "not try."

Because this absurd game of pursuing a faux peace detracts from the real work that needs to be done.

[oberliner]

6. Haniyeh rejects West Bank local elections

Gaza – Ma’an – De facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday rejected Palestinian Authority (PA) plans for local elections in the West Bank as a step that would deepen political divisions.

Speaking to lawmakers at the war-damaged Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) building in Gaza, Haniyeh urged the PA "not to carry out any procedures that would deepen the division."

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=265826

[ProgressiveMuslim]

7. Do you support West Bank-only elections? Just more divide and conquer. nt

[oberliner]

10. Local elections are by definition local

It would be great if they had local elections in Gaza as well as the west bank

[ProgressiveMuslim]

12. Local for what? I think they did that back in 1976 with the election of mayors.

Are you familiar with that historical event?

[IndianaGreen]

14. Don't hold your breadth!

It doesn't take long for rigor mortis to set in.

[Tripmann]

15. Two fingers crossed but not getting too excited

But if anyone can move things forward George Mitchell can.