Mideast Quartet to meet over restarting Israeli-Palestinian talks

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Mideast negotiators will seek ways to restart the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process during a meeting planned for this weekend, the European Union said Friday.

The meeting Sunday comes amid international pressure to reach a peace deal, fueled by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ request two weeks ago that the U.N. recognize an independent Palestinian state. The gathering will include envoys from U.S., European Union, United Nations and Russia, known as the Quartet.

“The purpose is to review progress and keep up the momentum, with the overall objective of encouraging the parties to return to negotiations,” EU spokesman Michael Mann said.

The U.N. Security Council — the only body that can bestow full membership — is reviewing the Palestinian request. But Washington has already pledged to veto any such resolution, saying it would worsen prospects for a peace accord.

Negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel have been on hold since 2008.

Mediators from the Quartet have met sporadically in a so-far fruitless effort to bring the two sides together again.

The Quartet has proposed a resumption in negotiations with the goal of having a peace agreement by the end of 2012.

Israel has accepted the proposal with unspecified reservations while the Palestinians have said they will not return to talks until Israel freezes settlement activity and recognizes the pre-1967 frontier as a baseline for border talks.

But prospects for any substantial progress in resolving the stand-off appear dim after Israel’s latest announcement that it would build 1,100 new housing units in east Jerusalem.

“We don’t expect anything concrete to come out of (Sunday’s) meeting,” said a diplomat from a Quartet nation who could not be named under standing rules.

While Quartet envoys — usually ambassadors — meet frequently, foreign ministers have so far held talks only three times this year, including on Sept. 23 in New York.

WP

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14 responses to “Mideast Quartet to meet over restarting Israeli-Palestinian talks”

  1. another round? hope for the best expect the worst. best wishes to peacefull brothers on both sides

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      There’s this nice spot bigger than Israel where they are already blowing up oil/gas lines, called the Sinai Penninsula … could be a good spot for Palestine … borders are almost natural, in fact. 🙂

  2. another round? hope for the best expect the worst. best wishes to peacefull brothers on both sides

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      There’s this nice spot bigger than Israel where they are already blowing up oil/gas lines called the Sinai … could be a good spot for Palestine … borders are almost natural, in fact. 🙂

  3. josephphdman Avatar
    josephphdman

    creating a small  democratic palestinian state  will help stability in the middleast and it will weakens all extremist and dictators ; as they have no exuse to opress there people
    israel should,nt fear a small democratic palestinians state , after all what damage they could do compare to 90 milions people iran with armed with nuclear weapons ??????

    1. briliant, accurate and it explains why so many so called friends of the pals allways discourage  them from signing  a peace deal.

      1. josephphdman Avatar
        josephphdman

        thanks for your reply geo: that is the reason the dictators iran and syria always pressure the palestinians not to sign peace and agree on anything because they do,nt have the palestinians best interrest at hearts , those dictators they  are worried about holding on to powers and having an exuse for oppressing there own people and robbing there countries , because if the palestinians problem is resolved less extremest will rally around those dictators and they will become much weaker  to the point where they could be overthrown easily and out power , so they are using the palestian cause for there own self interrest , and they could care less if the palestians have a sate of there own or they live in the tents for ever .

    2. briliant, accurate and it explains why so many so called friends of the pals allways discourage  them from signing  a peace deal.

  4.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    creating a small  democratic palestinian state  will help stability in the middleast and it will weakens all extremist and dictators ; as they have no exuse to opress there people
    israel should,nt fear a small democratic palestinians state , after all what damage they could do compare to 90 milions people iran with armed with nuclear weapons ??????

    1. briliant, accurate and it explains why so many so called friends of the pals allways discourage  them from signing  a peace deal.

      1.  Avatar
        Anonymous

        thanks for your reply geo: that is the reason the dictators iran and syria always pressure the palestinians not to sign peace and agree on anything because they do,nt have the palestinians best interrest at hearts , those dictators they  are worried about holding on to powers and having an exuse for oppressing there own people and robbing there countries , because if the palestinians problem is resolved less extremest will rally around those dictators and they will become much weaker  to the point where they could be overthrown easily and out power , so they are using the palestian cause for there own self interrest , and they could care less if the palestians have a sate of there own or they live in the tents for ever .

    2. briliant, accurate and it explains why so many so called friends of the pals allways discourage  them from signing  a peace deal.

  5. Adam Yonatan Ben Yoel Avatar
    Adam Yonatan Ben Yoel

    A “Small Palestinian State”? Firstly, they want it all and will settle for nothing less. Secondly, this state will flank our capital on three sides, overlook our main business and population centres and our airport and give us a ten mile wide centre of the country. It will be backed up by all of the looney regimes in the region.

  6. A “Small Palestinian State”? Firstly, they want it all and will settle for nothing less. Secondly, this state will flank our capital on three sides, overlook our main business and population centres and our airport and give us a ten mile wide centre of the country. It will be backed up by all of the looney regimes in the region.

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