U.S. envoys return to Mideast in bid to renew Israeli-Palestinian talks

[Jefferson23]

First big challenge for Dennis Ross and David Hale is to entice Palestinians away from their bid for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN.

Senior U.S. diplomats have returned to the Middle East for an unannounced visit to try to find a way to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that collapsed last year and now face new challenges.

Dennis Ross and David Hale's visit, confirmed by Israeli and Palestinian officials Wednesday, is their first to the region since special Mideast envoy George Mitchell resigned last month after failing to break the negotiations deadlock.

The first big challenge for the U.S. envoys is to find a formula for talks that would entice the Palestinians to drop their bid for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September.

The Palestinians, who hope to establish a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, adopted that strategy in frustration over the impasse.

"There are talks going on to see if there's a formula that will allow for the restarting of the talks that would cause the Palestinians to abandon their unilateral approach," said another Israeli official.

Both Israeli officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the visit was not announced publicly.

in full: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-envoys-return-to-mideast-in-bid-to-renew-israeli-palestinian-talks-1.367940

[bemildred]

1. It gets more and more tortured as time goes on:

"There are talks going on to see if there's a formula that will allow for the restarting of the talks that would cause the Palestinians to abandon their unilateral approach"

[Jefferson23]

3. A twisted sentence, that much is certain..I think Stephen Colbert would appreciate it. n/t

[bemildred]

4. I appreciate it. Takes me back to Nixon and Kissinger and the VietNam debacle.

Whenever you have talking about whether to have talks that would get somebody to do something, you know you are not going to have talks any time soon, because the premise is that talks are some sort of gift that must be reciprocated by some concession, like you are doing the other guy a favor by negotiating.

[Jefferson23]

5. It would be something to hear Mitchell's candid thoughts on all the "talks"

but in the mean time, Netanyahu is planning some version of OCL for the Palestinians.

[Jefferson23]

2. A man with a plan:

Official: Netanyahu fears third intifada

Israel preparing for worst-case scenarios ahead of Palestinian declaration of state, says official, including loss of legitimacy for Jews to reside in Jerusalem neighborhoods.

Jerusalem officials told Ynet Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fears a third intifada this summer ahead of a planned Palestinian declaration of statehood in September.

"Netanyahu fears he will not be able to stop (what will happen in) September," a top official told Ynet. "The prime minister is making an effort to convince European states that if riots begin after the declaration of statehood responsibility will not fall on Israel."

snip* "There is one scenario in which many thousands, or possibly tens of thousands, begin a march that becomes riots and serious conflicts with the IDF," the official said.



in full: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4082863,00.html

[bemildred]

6. Netanyahu Says He Won’t Change Stance on Mideast After Meeting Obama Envoy

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Barack Obama’s new Middle East envoy and told lawmakers afterward he won’t back down from positions that divide Israel and the Palestinians.

David Hale, who replaced George Mitchell last month as Obama’s point man for Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, met Netanyahu in Jerusalem today with White House adviser Dennis Ross, said Kurt Hoyer, the U.S. Embassy spokesman in Tel Aviv.

“The whole region is burning,” Netanyahu said later in a speech to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. “We have to unite around common values shared by an overwhelming majority of the nation.”

Among the six principles Netanyahu said would govern any future talks are that Palestinians must recognize Israel as a “Jewish state,” Palestinian refugees cannot return to Israel, Jerusalem will remain Israel’s “undivided” capital and any future Palestinian state must be demilitarized, allowing an Israeli military presence along the Jordanian border.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-15/netanyahu-says-he-won-t-change-stance-on-mideast-after-meeting-obama-envoy.html

[Jefferson23]

7. Perhaps Hale can phone up Mitchell and they can talk. n/t

[bemildred]

8. Can I call 'em or what: "you know you are not going to have talks any time soon". nt

[Jefferson23]

9. Yep, your study of history comes through but I'd bet my money you'd

prefer to be wrong in this case bemildred.