Editorial: Resuming talks Tuesday, 03 January 2012 03:24

The stalemate in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks has been a permanent fixture for some time. For the same reason, the focus of the so-called mediators, including America, has been to get both sides talking, bring them to the negotiating table. Whether those talks make progress or can build confidence is another matter. When the peace talks are in a state of coma, a restart itself is considered a sign of great progress.

From this viewpoint, the scheduled meeting between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Amman today needs to be welcomed by all. It is for the first time for more than a year that the meeting is taking place and the meeting will discuss how to restart the negotiations.

With low expectations on both sides, the meeting between Israeli envoy Yitzhak Molcho and Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat will be hosted by King Abdullah of Jordan and will be attended by the Middle East Quartet - the US, EU, UN and Russia.

Though hopes are extremely low as the rivals meet, the meeting needs to focus on confidence building measures. If the talks don’t make tangible progress, which is almost a certainty, the Palestinians are expected to resume their efforts to win recognition as a state from international bodies including the UN.

The popular uprising in the Arab region has changed its political landscape, and Hamas and Fatah, two bitter rivals until recently, are now trying to patch up. Both are two significant developments which have impacted the peace prospects, and the latter has been more important, rather dangerous, from the Israeli point of view. But the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu hasn’t turned a blind eye to all these developments and continues with measures which have torpedoed the peace talks. It continues the illegal settlement building in West Bank despite protests from the international community, especially the European Union. The Palestinians argue that there can be no meaningful talks while Israel continues its settlements expansion which is illegal under international law. They are calling for a construction freeze before returning to the negotiating table. It’s a just demand. But Israel has refused to listen, while Washington remains a silent spectator of Israeli excesses.

The two sides have not met since September 2010, when negotiations collapsed after Israel refused to extend a 10-month partial construction freeze in its settlements.

Palestinians need to plan their future on their own as the peace process continues to falter. Hamas and Fatah must bury their differences and stand united to strengthen their positions.