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Israel Welcomes Arab League Call for Israeli-Palestinian Talks

   Robert Berger | Jerusalem 03 March 2010
   Palestinian  Hamas  supporters march during a rally to protest against
   Israel's  addition  of  two  West  Bank  shrines  to a list of Israeli
   national  heritage  sites, in Gaza City, Tuesday, 2 Mar 2010. Israel's
   decision last week drew widespread international crit

Photo: AP

   Palestinian  Hamas  supporters march during a rally to protest against
   Israel's  addition  of  two  West  Bank  shrines  to a list of Israeli
   national heritage sites, in Gaza City, Tuesday, 2 Mar 2010

   Israel has welcomed a decision by the Arab League giving a green light
   to  a  U.S.  proposal  for indirect peace talks between Israel and the
   Palestinians.
   According  to  Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev, "I hope we see
   the resumption of talks. I think it's in everyone's interest."
   Peace talks broke down more than a year ago, and the Palestinians have
   refused  to  return  to the negotiating table until Israel freezes all
   settlement  construction  in  the  West  Bank  and East Jerusalem. The
   Palestinians rejected Israel's offer of a partial freeze.
   Regev says Israel has been ready to resume peace talks all along. "And
   unfortunately  that's  been  held up until now because the Palestinian
   side, unfortunately, has piled on preconditions," Regev said.
   The   United  States  has  also  pressured  Israel  for  a  freeze  on
   construction  in the settlements, on grounds that they are an obstacle
   to peace. But the U.S. has not made a settlement freeze a precondition
   for peace talks. To bridge the gaps, the U.S. proposed indirect talks,
   which  will probably involve shuttle diplomacy by an American mediator
   between  the  Israeli  government  in  Jerusalem  and  the Palestinian
   Authority  in  the  West Bank town of Ramallah. The U.S. will look for
   points  of  agreement  that  will  enable  the  resumption  of  direct
   negotiations.

   Expectations  are  low  for  a  breakthrough  in the four-month period
   designated  by  the Arab League for the talks. But a starting point is
   seen as an important step toward breaking the deadlock.

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