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Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
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Last update - 14:43 08/02/2010
Abbas give in to U.S. pressure for indirect Mideast talks
By Barak Ravid and Avi Issacharoff
Tags: Mideast peace 
 

Following heavy international pressure, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to the U.S. proposal to hold talks with Israel - in the format of indirect negotiations conducted by U.S. special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell.

Senior Palestinian sources confirmed Sunday that Abbas has agreed in principle to the U.S. proposal for indirect talks. According to the same sources, Abbas intends to ask for a number of clarifications with the U.S. administration and will consult with Arab leaders prior to giving Washington his final response.

Abbas is inclined to respond positively to the American proposal, as a refusal would shed negative light on the Palestinian position.
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Senior Israeli officials noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes the talks will begin in late February and will result in the resumption of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The proposal relayed to Israel and the Palestinians during Mitchell's last visit to the region, about two weeks ago, involved the indirect negotiations beginning with American mediation. The format will be similar to the indirect talks Israel held with Syria in Turkey, with Mitchell relaying messages to the negotiating teams sitting in separate rooms.

Major step backward

The start of the indirect negotiations will mark the first time the Palestinians will hold political exchanges with Israel since Netanyahu became prime minister a year ago. However, it is a major step backward in terms of the contacts between Israel and the Palestinians, as it marks the first time in 16 years that talks held between the two will not be direct.

The talks will initially be held at low levels, in an effort to map out the two sides' positions and establish an agenda of topics to be discussed if the talks are upgraded into full-fledged political negotiations.

It remains unclear how exactly the indirect talks will be held and whether they will take place in Jerusalem or Washington. Heading the Palestinian team will be Saeb Erekat, who heads the Palestine Liberation Organization's negotiations team. On the Israeli side, Yitzhak Molcho will likely lead the team, along with Brigadier General Mike Herzog, adviser to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and possibly National Security Adviser Uzi Arad.

Abbas returned last week from a trip to Europe, where he met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The two European leaders, who had coordinated their stance with Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres, relayed a clear message to Abbas: that they expected him to resume negotiations with Israel as soon as possible.

During a meeting with visiting Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos in Ramallah last week, Abbas said he would soon announce his agreement to the U.S. proposal to resume political talks with Israel, but added that these will only be indirect talks.

Senior sources in the Prime Minister's Bureau noted that Netanyahu had received similar messages from Europe and Washington, even if no official Palestinian response was forthcoming.

The prime minister stressed to the U.S. administration that the indirect talks be limited in terms of length of time, not exceeding two to three weeks.

"I want to reach direct talks with the Palestinians," Netanyahu said during his meeting with Moratinos last week. "I have no problem with proximity talks or indirect negotiations. I look at this as a ladder that will enable the Palestinians to climb down from the tree, and as a corridor that will lead to high-level talks."
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  1.   Arabs Want War Not Peace 04:29  |  CoorsLtie 08/02/10
  2.   Palestinians now realise that Iran is not able to destroy Israel 04:44  |  Realist 08/02/10
  3.   More worthless talk... 04:55  |  John 08/02/10
  4.   The ball is in Mr. Netanyahu`s court 05:02  |  Mark Lincoln 08/02/10
  5.   Pretty tedious 05:03  |  bronxite10 08/02/10
  6.   Sounds REAL promising 05:34  |  IW 08/02/10
  7.   TELLING METAPHOR BY BIBI... 05:42  |  EL 08/02/10
  8.   Testing Netanyahu`s Veracity 06:14  |  Mark of Lewiston 08/02/10
  9.   small power 06:47  |  ardokan 08/02/10
  10.   Anything To Keep the Goldstone Report Out of the ICJ 07:33  |  Reader 08/02/10
  11.   A positive step toward peace 07:46  |  A`sad (Angry Arab) 08/02/10
  12.   ABBAS is weak and a fool 07:49  |  ELIAS KHOURY 08/02/10
  13.   Mark Licoln 07:54  |  David 08/02/10
  14.   Meanwhile, Israel gets to continue building/expelling 07:58  |  Andrew 08/02/10
  15.   Mr. Abbas... THINK!!!! 08:15  |  Walter 08/02/10
  16.   Abbas should push for the US to declare its position 08:22  |  Stephen L 08/02/10
  17.   What does it matter? 09:05  |  Yonatan 08/02/10
  18.   Indirect Mideast Talks 09:20  |  John Swanston 08/02/10
  19.   "The Arabs" said the late Mr. Eban, "have never missed an... 09:34  |  Eitan 08/02/10
  20.   #8 David. Funny thing... 09:54  |  Maureen Ann 08/02/10
  21.   Elias Khoury - An Opening Position 09:58  |  Mark of Lewiston 08/02/10
  22.   #21, Mark,there will be no return to the status quo ante 10:33  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/02/10
  23.   Netanyahu wants domination, not "peace" 10:39  |  charlie mingus 08/02/10
  24.   19 Eitan: look in the mirror 11:08  |  Elisabeth 08/02/10
  25.   Warmongering talkbackers unhappy with modest step towards peace 11:10  |  Realist 08/02/10
  26.   Peace is disastrous on Israel 11:10  |  American 08/02/10
  27.   Eitan ---please correct your address--Qatzrin is in Syria 11:48  |  Labhras 08/02/10
  28.   Eitan ---please correct your address--Qatzrin is in Syria 11:48  |  Labhras 08/02/10
  29.   Eitan---Israel has never wantaed peace---just Arab land 11:51  |  Labhras 08/02/10
  30.   Eitan---Israel has never wantaed peace---just Arab land 11:51  |  sarhbal 08/02/10
  31.   mitchell trying the n ireland tactics 11:54  |  vhardman 08/02/10
  32.   Tio Elisabeth in Amsterdam---eitan is an illegal 11:54  |  Labhras 08/02/10
  33.   The corner stone to the Bi National State has just been 12:05  |  Labhras 08/02/10
  34.   #26 "American" & Question to All: Antisemitism 12:12  |  Der Zauberberg 08/02/10
  35.   to both Marks (Lin. & Lew.): no, it`s in both camps` court - 12:18  |  ivo 08/02/10
  36.   excellent - we all should strive to peace 12:34  |  17 08/02/10
  37.   new definition of "chutzpah" 12:56  |  Murray 08/02/10
  38.   #22 Err, Cipora..... 13:11  |  Johnboy 08/02/10
  39.   So, once again Abbas betrays his people`s interests at the behest 13:14  |  Richard Pearce 08/02/10
  40.   "The Palestinians have never been given `opportunities`". Shall.. 13:26  |  Eitan 08/02/10
  41.   Israel doesn`t want peace 14:03  |  David 08/02/10
  42.   Great Victory for Israel!! 14:09  |  Andrew 08/02/10
  43.   Isreal rather be a occupier and a appartied state rather 14:16  |  Abdalla 08/02/10
  44.   Abass needs to stick to his guns 14:21  |  Musa 08/02/10
  45.   Abbas is a Judenrat 14:39  |  ghetto police 08/02/10
  46.   Cipora re Mark of L. #21: you`re right, Cipora - 14:54  |  ivo 08/02/10
  47.   # 31. In responding to your question of why the Palestinians 15:00  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 08/02/10
  48.   abhras 27: Why don`t you visit and see which country it is in? 15:06  |  Realist 08/02/10
  49.   Venom of LabHarasss 15:13  |  Bobby G 08/02/10
  50.   Sahrbal is right: ALL of Land of Israel is Israel 15:16  |  Modechai 08/02/10
  51.   Rabin`s legacy -gratiously granting Israel "indirect peace talks" 15:20  |  Absolute Sweden 08/02/10
  52.   #21; Mark of L. Why would they do that???? 15:57  |  Mark from Georgia 08/02/10
  53.   A point everyone ignores 16:50  |  Jackie 08/02/10
  54.   Israel Wants Land, Arabs want Peace 16:52  |  vladek 08/02/10
  55.   Another fruitless meeting, all we want is a BINATIONAL State 16:58  |  Banu Adi 08/02/10
  56.   labarse of arabia is incapable of learning 17:09  |  vhardman 08/02/10
  57.   Abbas should NOT accept to negociate if there 17:13  |  Christian Bard 08/02/10
  58.   Jehudah Ben-Israel, 47, I totally agree with your response to 17:36  |  Eitan 08/02/10
  59.   Eitan and Jehudah Ben-Israel, thank you both for a 18:09  |  Aviva Yakir 08/02/10
  60.   #49 Bobby G---Gee Bobby you making up u own intll law 19:11  |  Labhras 08/02/10
  61.   #56 Victor hardhead aka p harris---is it 1922 or 1921--or 1920. 19:37  |  Labhras 08/02/10
  62.   #34 Der Zauberberg--I agree completly re # 26 19:42  |  Labhras 08/02/10
  63.   The farce is going on 20:01  |  yokum 08/02/10
  64.   Crunch time. 04:39  |  Catarin 09/02/10
  65.   #50 LOL...this is a joke post, right? 05:11  |  Toucan 09/02/10
  66.   #13 David is not from Haifa... 05:14  |  phatcat 09/02/10
  67.   22 CJK - For Palestinians & Israelis to Decide. 05:47  |  Mark of Lewiston 09/02/10
  68.   #52 Untrue, Mark from Georgia 07:49  |  Johnboy 09/02/10
  69.   #53 And with good reason, Jackie 08:00  |  Johnboy 09/02/10
  70.   #46 ivo, you don`t appear to understand what a "precondition" is 08:34  |  Johnboy 09/02/10
  71.   Johnboy, it all depends on what `from scratch` means - 1 16:44  |  ivo 09/02/10
  72.   Johnboy, it all depends on what `from scratch` means - 1 16:45  |  ivo 09/02/10
  73.   Johnboy, it all depends on what `from scratch` means - 2 17:27  |  ivo 09/02/10
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