THE INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC Quartet of Middle East peace mediators has endorsed a plan to enable talks between Israel and Palestine to restart immediately.
The so-called Quartet, which includes the United Nations, European Union, US and Russia, called on the Israelis and Palestinians to come to an agreement on drawing a Palestinian state by the end of next year.
The Quartet also urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to enter negotiations without preconditions. That would mean that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would have to give up on demands that Israel stop constructing Jewish settlements in the West Bank before talks begin.
However, the LA Times says the peacemakers asked both sides to “refrain from provocative actions”.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the Quartet’s proposal for immediate negotiations as “concrete and detailed”. She added:
We urge both parties to take advantage of this opportunity to get back to talks, and the United States pledges our support as the parties themselves take the important next steps for a two-state solution, which is what all of us are hoping to achieve.”
For its part, the US is hoping that the new talks will see Palestine put its formal application for full statehood recognition and membership at the UN on hold.
Obama’s administration has said it will use its veto at the Security Council to ensure the bid is not successful but this is a last resort for a president who does not want to land on the wrong side of history in the Arab World.
The UN Security Council is convening on Monday and Reuters reports that the Palestinians want a decision on their application within two weeks.
-Additional reporting by AP
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