Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Indirect Mideast Peace Talks Begin

   VOA News 09 May 2010
   U.S.  Middle  East  envoy  George  Mitchell,  left,  shakes hands with
   Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas

Photo: AP

   U.S.  Middle  East  envoy  George  Mitchell,  left,  shakes hands with
   Palestinian  President  Mahmoud  Abbas,  prior to their meeting in the
   West Bank city of Ramallah, Saturday, May 8, 2010

   The  chief  Palestinian  negotiator  says indirect peace talks between
   Israel and the Palestinians have officially started.
   Saeb  Erekat made the announcement Sunday after a meeting between U.S.
   Mideast  envoy George Mitchell and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
   in the West Bank city of Ramallah.  Mitchell is to mediate the talks.
   Israeli  Prime  Minister  Benjamin  Netanyahu said Sunday he hopes the
   indirect  talks  will  quickly move to direct negotiations.  Mitchell
   has met with Mr. Netanyahu in Jerusalem in recent days.
   The  Palestine  Liberation Organization approved Saturday the start of
   the U.S.-brokered indirect peace talks with Israel, which resume after
   an  18-month  break  in  negotiations.   President  Abbas already had
   endorsed U.S.-mediated talks with Israel, and had received support for
   the plan from the Arab League.
   The plan calls for Mitchell to "shuttle" between Mr. Abbas in Ramallah
   and Mr. Netanyahu in Jerusalem during a 4-month period.
   Members  of  the  Palestinian  militant group Hamas that runs the Gaza
   Strip  denounced  the  PLO,  saying  indirect  talks  with Israel will
   provide cover for Israeli settlement activity.
   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.
   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.  Palestinians want it as their capital for a future state.
   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's  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.

.