TALKS..... This is seen as progress.

the difference now is that if one nail meets plank in the occupied West Banks, talks stop and israel made accountable. how's that for a fresh new take on the concept of negotiations? you can't negotiate over a pizza while you devour it. easy enough a concept for you Alan from SA?

Talk, talk, talk...till the cows come home....if you're only looking for excuses to stop the talks...you're going nowhere.

#1 you're right...there were direct talks, but see how each ended--IN FAILURE. I ask you this...what incentive does Israel have to come to a final and permanent agreement when every year that passes is another year for Israel to expand its illegal West Bank settlements and colonize E. Jerusalem with more Jews? Taking away the ridiculous Israeli tactic of building settlements with one hand and pretending to seek peace with the other is necessary for successful negotiations.

20 million arabs with no access to proper washing facilities and only holes in the ground to poop in. that's cairo.

Well it looks like the Palestinians are all set for talks and of course Israel has no choice but to take part as Obama is using a carrot and a stick to get Israel to the table. Looks like, as per Obama’s instructions, there will be no new building in the WB and E Jerusalem before and during the talks. What else? Oh yeah when is Bibi going to release these 1,000 odd Palestinians prisoners?

the direct negoiations ended before Obama was in the office, they ended when Operation Cast Lead (aka Kill as many civilians as possible) started in December. Obama had nothing to do with it. Blaming Obama is the trendy thing to do in Israel and US these days. Sometimes it is justified and sometimes it isn't...but in this case, the break down in talks had nothing to do with Obama.

In order for a two-state solution to become a reality, Westbank Palestinians require contiguous borders without the constant infringement of "Jewish-only" highways. There is no reason why the Westbank should be "Judenfrei" anymore than Israel proper is free of Palestinian Arabs but a creative political solution will have to be put into effect in order to insure minority rights. If Israel wants to keep its formal Jewish character, a one-state solution is impossible and the current situation is untenable.

can you ask israel first for a map with 2 states in it between the sea and the river .way way way before sir engaging in your useless 20 years by now .talks . a map with solid lines as borders ...before you start anything sir .. that way sir , you will know ,idiot ,if you want to go to the meeting or not. stop waisting everyone 's time sir . step down if you don't know how to do it ..sir . .

... the self-defeating essence of the PA charter: the determination to never recognize Israel as anything more than the object of future conquest, stage #3 of Arafat's plan. Is not Hamas part of this process? What would it take to include them as effective negotiating partners? And above all - without affirmative commitment to peace, how can a future Palestinian state become at all prosperous?

...and I probably will be preventing from pointing out the things left out. One single housing start in the West Bank or East Jerusalem and the talks are over. Then the US will abstain from the resulting UN resolution condemning Israel's continued defiance over the illegal colonies. And it was left out what Secretary Clinton also had to say about the Arab Peace Initiative: "Simultaneously moving toward a broader regional peace will help set up the conditions for that outcome. I commend Kuwait for its support of the Arab peace initiative, which offers a vision of a better future for all of the people of the Middle East. And I look forward to seeing it advanced by actions as well as words." There's that pesky Saudi Plan again. My goodness how it keeps popping up even as the wingnuts seem to think it is a non-starter. Heh heh... Uh oh wingnuts. It looks like the Saudi Plan is on the front burner. It should not be a surprise, thousands of us worked for years to get the plan in front of enough people to finally see it fully adopted as a firm part of US policy in the Israeli-Arab conflict. I don't even have to say time's up anymore.

giving Israel ultimatums? how is this going to work, when the pals will get 40% less than what h. barak offered in 2001?

These guys and the tyrants they represent neither need nor know what peace is.Their existance depends on more blood shed any where. Both the isrealis and the Americans know this fact. The real peace partners are those who suffers due to the lack of it , call them terrorists , out laws or whatever ,,, but you know they are capable of making peace and honor their word try Mishaal or Hassan nasser you may make it easy to all , and save the bribe cash paid to Abbas Dahlan and the rest of the arab leaders if not it wont be long till it is revealed those dectators are not capable of securing the Isreali borders ....

already have a country.

Let's cut the cr*p. There's no intention to allow Israel the right of enjoying its own Jewish State, so why pretend otherwise? At least Hamas don't play games that help make the failed US administration look potent. Focusing on the settlements is a great idea, it helps create internal strife between Jews. The only problem for the PA is that there are growing numbers of Arabs who actually prefer to live under Israeli control that includes the 'west bank' , provided they can enjoy better economic and human rights. Maybe, the solution is to let the actual inhabitants themselves of the 'disputed territories' work out a peaceful co-existence arrangement, without the interference of outsiders? There are two houses continously being built here, one on either side!

to build an arab apartheid state. He will help them cleanse their state of Jews. What a legacy! But he should think again, because it will not be a good move for Israeli Arabs...they will be greatly weakened by it, think about it... So if this phony peacenik is not carefull he will only make things much worse.

Israel offers peace and the “Palestinians” give them horrific terror and war. The “Palestinians” were offered peace and a state of their own many times over the years, but they refused to end the conflict as long as it meant that they would have to accept the legitimacy of Israel as a sovereign, permanent country and neighbor. Only when the “Palestinians'” extremist/rejectionist/supremacist attitude changes will peace really be possible. What have the Arabs won from their refusal of the Israeli peace proposals : http://xrl.us/bejbgd

I hope and pray that Bibi won't agree to all this nonsense, but sadly, we all know he will. He will bow before his king. No! Not King of the Universe, but higher than that - King Obama.

only because they are Jewish, must not be permitted to reside and own property in certain villages, towns and even city neighborhoods. This, under any other circumstances, would be considered a form of racism. So, let us call the child by its name: This is racism, anti-Jewish racism promoted by no other than Mr. Barack Obama and his sidekick, Ms. Hillary Clinton, the "liberal".

It has not changed. It reads like a cross between the Hamas Charter and the Gaza Disengagement Plan. However, the PA/PLO Charter was changed years ago, the Palestinians long ago recognized Israel, it's all in former President Clinton's book "My Life" _ he was in Gaza City ans witnessed for himself and posterity that the Palestinians side has recognized Israel once and for all. It's old old assed news.

What I see in many talkbacks is a complete ignoring of reality. Just as the Palestinians insist on preconditions they know can never be met, Israel should insist on the complete adherence to commitments made by the Palestinians, stopping the rocketing of civilians, disarming the Hezbollah, removing the statement from their “constitution” calling for the destruction of Israel. It appears that some of the talkbacks condone terrorism by not looking at all and also by the complete ignoring the facts on the ground. I have become a pessimist as I think the Palestinians will trump up another excuse not talk about peace. Yasser Arafat’s policy is still alive, unfortunately.

must be the transfer of all Arabs presently living in Isrel to the West Bank. It would be stupid to agree to the establishment of a purely Arab state in the West Bank while we will have to settle for a binational state with a multiplying ticking bomb in its core.

How about an end to incitement. One incident of incitement will end the talks. Enough accommodation and caving to Palestinian whining. Time for Israel to stand up, show some pride, and demand respect.

And the other names that lead back to the same Web site? I've always wondered why Israeli news sites suffer you in your various guises, as you are a commercial entity just like any other Spammer. Unless you too are a product of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, although it is kind of hard to believe that Israel would really be this self-destructive. No wait! My bad. Israel really is that self-destructive. The only existential threat Israel faces is the illegal colonies. All other issues are subordinate. Sadly, this too will be censored. But not for my book, and not for the indisputable time-line that surrounds it.

I think it is a waste of time to resume peace talk with the "Israelis" as far as Netanyaho is in the head of the government,he is not a man of peace. "Israel" has in effect chosen a one-state instead of a two-state solution -- but it is indeed an apartheid state....the Arab countries are with policy of negotiation rather than confrontation, although they are aware of all the awareness that this policy will not work with the occupying Zionist entity....America and Europe, the game of common interests between them and "Israel" so they continue to tout a charade of a peace process.....So it's clear that we, as usual, the biggest loser :(

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1135699.html He never got back to him surprise. Like Arafat turning down King David even his supporters said he was an idiot as it was a great deal.

You see, that is a crime against humanity. It is very bad. I heard Jews in some prior time faced such horrible persecution but then we all changed our laws and our lives to make sure that it would happen Never Again. So now you want to do it to the Palestinians? How dare you.