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Image Credit: Gulf News

Manama: The United States has pledged to assign blame and take action if indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) failed.

The decision to name and shame is an indication of a new commitment by US President Barack Obama administration to playing a role in the talks.

Israel newspaper Haaretz reported that the US pledge was contained in a document sent by the US to the PNA.

The US government sent the document to the Palestinians responding to their inquires regarding the US initiative to launch indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

"We expect both parties to act seriously and in good faith. If one side, in our judgment, is not living up to our expectations, we will make our concerns clear and we will act accordingly to overcome that obstacle," Haaretz quoted the US administration as saying.

The US pledge was a crucial factor in the Arab League's decision this week to agree to the US proposal on indirect talks.

In a meeting of 14 foreign ministers in Cairo, the Arab League said it approved "indirect negotiations" between PNA and Israel. 

Arab League Secretary General Amr Mousa said that the League agreed to talks "despite the lack of conviction in the seriousness of the Israeli side… to facilitate the US role."

However, the Arab League limited the talks to a preliminary four-month period.

The approval will politically empower Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to agree to resume talks with Israel once Israel meets the Arab demands.

In the document, the US said that its involvement would include "sharing messages between the parties and offering our own ideas and bridging proposals."

In the documents, the US also emphasised that its main concern was establishing a Palestinian state.

"Our core remains a viable, independent and sovereign Palestinian State with contiguous territory that ends the occupation that began in 1967," the document read.

On the colonies, the US noted its continued commitment to the roadmap, which dictates that Israel must freeze all construction in the colonies, and dismantle all outposts erected since March 2001.

Quoting an unnamed "prominent Palestinian official", Haaretz reported that the Palestinian leadership welcomed the American response, and that the only reason Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas did not promptly respond to the US was his keenness on receiving crucial support from the Arab League.