Barak to Ban: Help us renew talks with PA
Defense minister speaks on phone with UN secretary general and asks his help to renew negotiations with Abbas. In addition, Barak claims Israel meeting Gaza's humanitarian needs
Following a series of statements meant to prepare the groundwork for renewing talks, Barak has turned to the UN secretary general. Defense Minister Ehud Barak spoke on the telephone Tuesday with Ban Ki-Moon and asked for his help in renewing negotiations with Palestinians President Mahmoud Abbas. "I want to shorten the path to negotiations," said Barak to Ban.
Barak, who met Monday with Mideast Quartet envoy Tony Blair to discuss the peace process, asked that the Europeans join the US and Egypt in renewing talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
In the shadow of scathing international criticism on the continued blockade of Gaza, Barak updated Ban Ki-Moon that Israel is meeting all the humanitarian needs of Gaza's residents.
It seems that there was been a recent international effort to encourage understandings between Israel and the Palestinian Authority that will allow for a renewal of talks. Palestinian President Abbas met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Monday to this end. On this backdrop, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that "there is a change in the atmosphere," and that "the time is ripe for kick-starting the peace process."
However, Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat emphasized earlier Tuesday: "Peace is our strategic choice, but we will not agree to it at any cost. We are interested in renewing the peace process, but pressure on the issue must be directed at Israel."
Jerusalem estimates - talks within weeks
Jerusalem is still waiting for Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman to return from their visit to Washington where they tried to promote the prospect of negotiations. Simultaneously, efforts in Washington are continuing, with the help of US special envoy to the Mideast George Mitchell, to recruit Arab states to the peace efforts. Within this framework, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Qatar's prime minister, who expressed his commitment to jumpstart the peace process.
In Jerusalem, it still remains unclear whether Abbas will ultimately acquiesce to US and international pressures to return to the negotiating table. And if he does, it is uncertain when the talks will start. However, Jerusalem is currently operating under the rather optimistic presumption that talks will resume within the coming weeks.
Israel, for its part, is still awaiting Mitchell's visit in the middle of the month as part of the tour to Europe and the Middle East in order "to tie up loose ends" for starting talks.
According to one proposition, Egypt will host a summit meeting between the two sides and the US in which some of the Arab states may also likely participate.
