Israel/Palestine - "With no clear-cut solution to the settlement dilemma, the projected U.S.-led peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis would be just talks for the sake of talking. This is definitely not to underestimate the determined diplomacy of the U.S Secretary of State, John Kerry, which resulted in breaking the deadlock on peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, because this is in itself a huge step forward. But the success of the long-awaited talks will be determined by reaching a breakthrough agreement on Israeli settlement building, because it lies at the heart of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. Fully aware of the supremacy of borders over all other final status issues, including Jerusalem, refugees and water, in ensuring the success of negotiations with the Israelis, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas linked his agreement to resume peace talks with a written guarantee by Kerry that the basis of the negotiations will be Israel’s pre-1967 borders."
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 10:06:25 +0000