Israel hints at Palestinian talks

Israel and the Palestinians may resume indirect peace deliberations soon, with a US mediator shuttling between negotiating teams…

Israel and the Palestinians may resume indirect peace deliberations soon, with a US mediator shuttling between negotiating teams, an Israeli cabinet minister said today.

Echoing comments made by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day earlier, cabinet minister Gilad Erdan said: "Sometimes it takes more than two to tango. And sometimes you need a third party to bring the positions closer."

Asked on Israel Radio if the resumption of negotiations, stalled for more than a year, would be in the format of proximity talks through US mediation, Mr Erdan said: "Yes, indeed".

Palestinian officials did not confirm Mr Erdan's remarks but pointed out US middle east envoy George Mitchell has made more than a dozen visits to the region to try to revive peace negotiations leading to the creation of a Palestinian state.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has said he would return to the negotiating table only after Israel stopped settlement building in the occupied West Bank. He termed insufficient a limited construction freeze announced by Netanyahu in November.

But Mr Abbas told Britain's Guardian newspaper earlier this week that proximity talks could be a way to restart the negotiating process.

Such shuttle diplomacy could allow Mr Abbas to pursue a peace deal without dropping his settlement freeze demand.

Mr Netanyahu said in a speech yesterday he had reason to hope the negotiations could resume within weeks and reiterated Israel was ready to renew without preconditions the talks that have not convened since a Gaza war began in December 2008.

Reuters

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