Brussels, 11/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - According to a high-ranking Palestinian quoted in AFP, meetings on Thursday 10 March among the envoys of the Quartet for the Middle East (the United States, the EU, Russia and the UN) did not produce any outcomes that would enable a return to the negotiating table.
Richard Miron, spokesperson for the UN Quartet envoy, Robert Sherry, confirmed this, saying the meeting was unable to reach any outcome to resume talks as the Quartet envoys had noted serious contradictions in the parties' views on how the talks should resume on all key issues, including borders and security. On Thursday, the Quartet envoys held separate meetings with the Israeli negotiator, Yithzak Molcho, in Tel Aviv and the Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erakat, in Ramallah (the West Bank) to discuss the potential of resuming peace negotiations which have been in the doldrums for nearly six months now. The Palestinians repeated their demand for a complete halt to Israel's settlement programme before entering talks, which the Israelis refuse to consider. The Palestinians also demand recognition of the future state of Palestine in its 1967 set-up (East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip).
Erakat said that talks were continuing on how to return to the negotiating table and the Quartet will be meeting again on 12 April. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may soon announce a new diplomatic move to negotiate a long-term “interim agreement” with the Palestinians without ending the Israeli settlement programme, rather than negotiating a final settlement. It is reported that Netanyahu would agree to a state of Palestine with provisional borders and an expansion of autonomous Palestinian areas on the West Bank. These proposals are rejected by the Palestinians.
France, the UK and Germany have pointed out that the settlement programme is illegal and a threat to the two-state solution. They urge both sides to return to direct talks, stressing that the EU's objective is still agreement on the final solution and for Palestine to become a member of the United Nations in September 2011. (L.C./transl.fl)