With the announcement that Israeli and Palestinian officials intend to resume peace talks, stakeholders and analysts are chiming in with their interpretation of events. Because the Palestinian Authority agreed to drop peace talk preconditions that would entail a complete settlement freeze, the two sides will resume postponed talks through a negotiator.
The resumption of talks is somewhat of a victory for the Obama administration, with Vice President Joe Biden currently in the region, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visiting last year, and Special Envoy George Mitchell repeatedly attempting to forge a breakthrough to no avail until now.
Mitchell said:
“I’m pleased that the Israeli and Palestinian leadership have accepted indirect talks. We’ve begun to discuss the structure and scope of these talks and I will return to the region next week to continue our discussions. As we’ve said many times, we hope that these will lead to direct negotiations as soon as possible. We also again encourage the parties, and all concerned, to refrain from any statements or actions which may inflame tensions or prejudice the outcome of these talks.”
J Street emphasized that negotiations for the sake of talks are not the goal, but instead a two solution is the eventual outcome that stakeholders should strive for. J Street said:
“J Street welcomes Senator Mitchell’s announcement today that Israeli and Palestinian leadership have accepted proximity talks.
We commend the U.S. administration for its concerted efforts to engage the parties and its strong commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
While these talks are a step in the right direction toward a two-state resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ending the conflict will require more than talk and process. It will take strong and sustained American – and international – leadership to bridge differences and to support all sides in making difficult, but necessary compromises for peace.
The window of opportunity for achieving a tenable two-state solution is nearly closed, and the coming years are the last chance to secure Israel’s future as a democracy that is a national home for the Jewish people. We urge a seriousness of purpose from all involved that reflects the gravity of what is at stake.”
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