Palestinian-Israeli direct talks closer - US

Dubai: The US administration is discussing with its counterpart Quartet members regarding a Palestinian demand to reissue a statement calling on Israel to halt colonies, amid reports of "leniency" in the Palestinian stand to resume direct talks with Israel, US officials and well-informed Palestinian sources said yesterday.

"The focus [is] now on the wording of this statement," Hani Al Masri, a prominent Palestinian politician and analyst told Gulf News.

"There are different views. Some prefer to water it down so it will be accepted by Israel, while some are against it. Others question the importance of such a document in case of Israeli rejection, or in case of Israeli acceptance to a weak phrasing.

"Personally, I say this is wrong... what is important is the acceptance of Israel, which is the occupying country. It is the party that should agree on the basis for the talks, and to halt the colonies' activities. The major powers have announced for a long time that there is an Israeli occupation and it should end."

Paving the way

According to Palestinian sources, this statement reflects a "more lenient Palestinian stance," rather than a change in the Palestinian position or a retreat in previous demands to halt Israeli colony activities in the Palestinian territories as a main condition to launch direct talks.

"This is to pave the way to hold direct talks, rather than calling it a retreat in the Palestinians' [earlier] demands," a source said.

The Palestinians' suggestion to involve the international Quartet in the ongoing discussions aim to ensure guarantees for face-to-face Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, Palestinian officials said.

The Quartet, which comprises the US, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia, called on Israel in a statement issued last March to freeze colony activities in Palestinian territories, including occupied East Jerusalem.

The suggestion was one of three suggestions submitted by the Palestinians to the Americans, Palestinian sources said. An earlier proposal for the US administration to issue a statement rejecting colony activities and specifying references for the talks was rejected by the Americans.

Israel rejected a second proposal to hold a trilateral American-Israeli-Palestinian meeting to discuss the reference of launching the talks before engaging in them.

US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said on Tuesday "we are pushing the parties to agree to direct negotiations. And we think after today's meeting, we are closer to reaching that point than we were yesterday [Monday]."