| Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the visiting U.S. special envoy George Mitchell in Jerusalem Sunday afternoon, in mid of a growing sense of anticipation that Palestinians and Israelis are about to relaunch the long-stalled peace talks.
No important decision was announced after the over-two-hour meeting, neither did the two sides give much details. The two are slated to meet again Monday morning before the U.S. envoy travels to the West Bank for talks with Palestinian leaders.
Mitchell, who arrived in Israel Saturday night and met Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak shortly after landing, is in a fresh effort to push Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiation table.
His shuttle diplomacy will be followed by the visit of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who is set to arrive in the region on Monday.
It is expected that Biden could announce an immediate fresh round of talks between Israel and the Palestinians, as these days the two sides expressed willingness to a U.S.-brokered indirect talks.
Netanyahu said on the eve of Mitchell's visit that Israel is " ready" for indirect talks with the Palestinians. Meanwhile, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Sunday approved the U.S. proposal of holding indirect negotiations with Israel.
Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of the PLO's executive committee, said the proximity talks would be restricted by a time limit of four months and focus on the borders of the future Palestinian statehood and security concerns.
An official of Israel Prime Minister Office (PMO) told Xinhua that Israel now deems it as an opportunity to launch the proximity talks, which might be held at a hotel in Jerusalem or in the United States.
The Israeli government is also considering making up a negotiation team, probably including Uzi Arad, the national security advisor to Netanyahu and head of the Israeli National Security Council, Amos Gilad, the political and military advisor to Barak, and others, said the PMO official in a condition of anonymity since no official announcement has been made.
The Palestinian-Israeli peace talks have been stalled since December 2008.
The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has long been trying to coax Israel and the Palestinian side back into peace talks. But its efforts have born no results so far as the two sides differ over Israel's refusal to implement a full construction freeze in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. |
