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US Envoy Discusses Peace Talks With Palestinian President

   Robert Berger | Jerusalem 17 July 2010
   US  Mideast  envoy  George  Mitchell,  left,  speaks  with Palestinian
   President  Mahmoud  Abbas  during their meeting at Abbas' residence in
   the West Bank city of Ramallah, 17 Jul 2010

Photo: AP

   US  Mideast  envoy  George  Mitchell,  left,  speaks  with Palestinian
   President  Mahmoud  Abbas  during their meeting at Abbas' residence in
   the West Bank city of Ramallah, 17 Jul 2010

   U.S. President Barack Obama's point man in the Middle East is on a new
   peace mission.
   U.S.  envoy  George  Mitchell  met  with Palestinian President Mahmoud
   Abbas  in  the  West  Bank  as  part  of the indirect peace talks with
   Israel.  He  said  the  goal  is  the creation of a Palestinian state,
   "which  must begin with an agreement between Israel and Palestine that
   will  provide for two states living side by side in peace and security
   and hopefully prosperity."
   Mitchell  said  once  the Palestinian issue is resolved, the U.S. will
   push  for  a  comprehensive  peace between Israel and the Arab world.Â
   "It  also  will  include peace between Israel and Syria and normalized
   relations  between  Israel and all of the countries of the region," he
   said.
   But  so far, the Palestinians have refused to enter direct peace talks
   until Israel freezes all settlement activity in the West Bank and East
   Jerusalem.  And  now  President Abbas has made a new demand: no direct
   talks  until  Israel  accepts  the  borders before the 1967 war as the
   reference point for a Palestinian state.
   Israel  says direct talks must begin without preconditions, and that a
   Palestinian state is impossible without negotiating face to face.

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