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(Image source: Flickr / U.S. State Department)
BY MATT PICHT
Long-stalled peace talks between Israel and Palestine might be getting a jump start this
week. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced Sunday Israeli and Palestinian negotiators
have agreed to meet in Washington D.C. to discuss resuming negotiations.
For Kerry, the announcement comes after months of Middle East visits and in-depth discussions
with both Israeli and Palestinian authorities. The talks have been on hold since 2010. (Via
CBS)
The new peace talks have been greeted with muted optimism in Washington, but the BBC
reports many insiders there are still skeptical these new discussions will succeed where so
many others have failed.
"There are grave doubts, a lot of cynicism about how much common ground there really
is between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and it's worth noting these are talks about
talks."
During a press conference, Kerry acknowledged the uphill battle these negotiations now face.
"No one believes that the long-standing differences between the parties can be resolved overnight
or just wiped away. We know that the challenges require some very tough choices in the days
ahead." (Via The Guardian)
Israel has already made one of those tough choices after it agreed Sunday to release
104 Palestinian prisoners over the next nine months in order to encourage Palestinian cooperation
during the new talks. (Via Ynetnews)
Resentment between the two countries has not abated since the talks broke down. News of
the peace talks prompted angry demonstrations in both Palestine and Israel. (Via Euronews)
But in a cabinet speech, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel must be prepared to
make sacrifices for the sake of peace.
"This moment is not easy for me. It is not easy for the cabinet ministers. And it's especially
not easy for the bereaved families. ... But there are moments in which tough decisions
must be made." (Via Al Jazeera)
And a Palestinian journalist told CNN Palestine's people are ready to negotiate as well.
"I think the big obstacle is the right-wing members of the Israeli government who are
against a two-state solution. ... On the Hamas side, they might say a few things against
it, but at the end of the day most Palestinians by polls have shown that they are in support
of the two-state solution."
Two representatives each from Palestine and from Israel will meet in Washington Monday
to discuss preliminary conditions for the negotiations. Those discussions are expected
to last two days.