U.S. envoy George Mitchell was to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Tuesday, in an effort to push a fresh initiative to see stalled Middle East peace negotiations resume.
Mitchell arrived in the region the night before and held a three-hour meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Prior to that meeting, the envoy reiterated U.S. Secretary of State’s declaration that the Obama administration was intent on reaching a peace agreement and hoped to restart indirect talks to achieve that goal.
Mitchell was expected during his separate talks with the Palestinian and Israeli leaders to shift their focus toward discussion of core issues, after the U.S. dropped its demand that Israel renew its moratorium on West Bank settlement construction.
The envoy was expected to make clear to Netanyahu that the Obama administration wanted him to take a clear stance on these issues, with an emphasis on borders.
Following the meeting, which associates of Netanyahu called "positive", the prime minister declared that he was "prepared to discuss all of the fundamental issues" necessary for resuming negotiations with the Palestinians and reaching a peace agreement.
The brunt of the work in this renewed effort will likely be in Israel because the Palestinians have already submitted their opening positions on all the core issues – borders, security, Jerusalem, refugees, water and the settlements.
The Americans have heard little new from Netanyahu, with the exception of ideas on security and aspects considered secondary such as the environment and the economy.
Hours before his meeting with Mitchell, Netanyahu told a business conference in Tel Aviv that he was pleased that the U.S. had decided to drop efforts to achieve a construction freeze on Israeli settlements and focus on resolving the core issues.
"I welcome this American decision. It is good for Israel. It is good for peace," said Netanyahu, who resisted U.S., Palestinian and international calls for a construction moratorium.
"To reach peace, we have to discuss the issues that are truly delaying peace … I welcome the fact that we will now begin discussing these issues and try to narrow gaps," Netanyahu said in his speech to the business forum.
Palestinian officials, who have been highly critical of the U.S. policy shift, said the seriousness of any coming political process would depend on foundations including a halt to settlement building and clear terms of reference.
The Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee, which convened on Monday, said Israel’s policy "threatened the stability of the region" and showed that its priorities were "settlement, expansion and perpetuating the occupation".
The Palestinians had demanded a full halt to settlement building before any more peace talks. They fear settlement expansion on land where they aim to found their state will render that goal impossible.
Palestinian officials have voiced concern that Israel would try to undermine any indirect negotiations by avoiding discussion of future borders of a state they intend to establish in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, captured by Israel in 1967.
Israel and the Palestinians began direct peace talks in Washington in September but they broke down several weeks later when Netanyahu refused to extend a 10-month freeze of housing starts in settlements in the West Bank.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday that the Israeli government would have to discuss every core issue related to the Middle East conflict as it pushed its way back into the peace process – including Jerusalem.
Speaking in Washington after days of talks with U.S. officials, Barak said that the resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians had been one of the central topics of conversation.
"The essence was clear: We are heading toward actual negotiations and all of the core issues – borders, refugees, the end of the conflict – will be brought up for debate," said Barak."The mechanics will become clearer over the coming weeks, but as long as it is up to us… we will advance them," he said.
"There is no need to reveal every detail of our stance prior to the negotiations," Barak said, adding: "I respect the prime minister, and I have no doubt that we as a government are faced with the need to discuss all core issues, including Jerusalem."
Netanyahu earlier this week distanced himself from Barak’s declaration that Israel should accept former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s 2000 initiative to divide Jerusalem according to Jewish and Arab lines.
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