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PLO OKs Indirect Talks With Israel

   VOA News 08 May 2010
   Palestinian  President Mahmoud Abbas, center, is seen during a meeting
   with the PLO executive committee and the Fatah central committee, held
   in  order  to  approve the beginning of proximity talks with Israel in
   the West Bank city of Ramallah, 08 May 2010

Photo: AP

   Palestinian  President Mahmoud Abbas, center, is seen during a meeting
   with  the  PLO  executive committee and the Fatah central committee in
   Ramallah, 08 May 2010

   Palestinians want Israel to stop building homes for Jewish settlers in
   East Jerusalem and the West Bank, lands Israel occupied after the 1967
   Mideast war that are claimed by Palestinians for a future state.
   Israel  has  frozen  new  housing  starts  in the West Bank since last
   November for a 10-month period, but has refused to stop building homes
   for  Jews  in  East  Jerusalem, which it claims as part of its eternal
   capital.
   Israel already has agreed to indirect talks with Mr. Abbas' government
   but has said it wants a quick transition to direct negotiations.
   Palestinians  have  said  they  want  indirect  talks to focus on core
   issues  of  the  Israeli-Palestinian  conflict, including borders of a
   future Palestinian state and the status of Jerusalem.
   Mr.  Abbas'  government  broke  off direct negotiations with Israel in
   December  2008  when  Israeli forces launched an offensive in the Gaza
   Strip to stop rocket fire by Hamas militants on Israeli towns.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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