Indirect talks over 20-yr-old problem

AFTER a hiatus of more than a year, the Mideast peace talks are about to restart — albeit without any eyeball contact — in a testimony to the hardy doggedness of US Special Middle East envoy George Mitchell's 14-month-long shuttle diplomacy more than any burning desire for peace by Israel.

Two days ago, the Palestinian leadership expressed grudging willingness in the wake of the Arab foreign ministers giving their green light for the peace talks to resume. The Middle East peace process and its quest for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict that got under way nearly 20 years ago with the Oslo accords is now about to take on a new avatar.

The US-mediated talks are expected to focus on laying out the guidelines for discussing the key issues that have divided Israelis and Palestinians for decades, namely the final borders, the fate of millions of Palestinian refugees, and a resolution to the rival claims to the city of Jerusalem.

The commitment and earnestness of the Americans in wanting to establish a Palestinian state tipped the scales for the sceptical Palestinians to agree to the US proposal for indirect talks but with the caveat that it be only for a time frame of four months. They feared that without a time frame, the Netanyahu government, while projecting themselves as being anxious for peace — as did earlier Israeli governments — was wont to stretch the talks while all the time continuing with the building of illegal settlements.

Despite all the criticisms heaped on United States President Barack Obama over his apparent buckling under Israeli intransigence for its refusal to freeze the building of illegal settlements, his government has remained resolute in wanting to see peace in the Middle East. To his credit, early on in his attempts to restart the peace process, Obama had repeatedly called for a complete freeze on all settlement activities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem but he had underestimated the strength of the Jewish lobby in US politics.

However, it was the US' promise to assign blame and take the necessary action in the event of failure of the talks that was a determining factor in the Palestinians' and the Arab League's decision to acquiesce to the US proposal. In addition, the US has also noted its continued commitment to the road map which dictates that Israel must freeze all construction in the settlements, and dismantle all outposts that had been erected since March 2001.

But the talks — indirect though it may be — are being held against the backdrop of the murder of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai, increasingly being suspected to be the handiwork of Israel spy agency Mossad. Also, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had recently riled up Palestinians by placing two ancient West Bank mosques on Israel's register of national heritage site. The annexation of the mosques, the Bilal Ibn Rabah Mosque near Bethlehem and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, as pointed out by the United Nations were clearly in occupied Palestinian territory causing even the US to deem it as a "provocative" act liable to undermine the peace efforts that broke down after the start of the Gaza war in December 2008.

Under the circumstances, the elderly Mitchell will be required to draw on all his reserves on diplomatic - as well as shuttling - skills to take the peace process to the next level. As pointed out by Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, the process cannot go on forever and now it was time for decisions.

However, the day when the hope for the birth of a Palestinian nation burns brightest is the day when Hamas and its rival Fatah are able to see eye-to-eye and sit side-by-side with full trust in each other to fight for a common cause.