Palestinians chant slogans and wave Palestinian and red flags during a demonstration against resuming peace talks with Israel in Gaza City, yesterday.
WASHINGTON: Israeli and Palestinian negotiators yesterday gave themselves about nine months to try to reach an agreement on ending their conflict of more than six decades in US-brokered peace talks.
The two sides held their first peace negotiations in nearly three years in Washington on Monday and yesterday, a diplomatic victory for Secretary of State John Kerry, but one that foreign policy analysts believe has low chances of success.
Flanked by the chief negotiators for both sides, Kerry said he was well aware of the doubts but described the initial talks, which appear to have focused on process rather than substance, as “constructive and positive.”
Speaking after the meetings, which included a session at the White House with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, as well as talks between the two sides without US officials present, Kerry said he believed peace was possible despite the obstacles. “We have had constructive and positive meetings,” he said, as Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat stood at his side, noting that all so-called final-status issues to end the conflict were on the table.
“While I understand the scepticism, I don’t share it,” Kerry said. “We cannot pass along to another generation the responsibility of ending a conflict that is in our power to resolve in our time. They should not be expected to bear that burden, and we should not leave it to them.” The talks will go to a second round by the middle of August. The resumption of negotiations is a rare moment of good news in the Middle East for the Obama administration, which has struggled to formulate a policy to try to end the civil war in Syria or to facilitate a democratic transition in Egypt. Kerry urged the Israelis and Palestinians to embrace “reasonable, principled compromise.” Reuters
