Mideast leaders’ first face-to-face meeting

THE Israeli and Palestinian leaders shook hands at the start of their first face- to-face meeting yesterday, hosted by President Barack Obama, but the small gesture was unlikely to translate into a quick resumption of peace talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas remain far apart on key issues, including Israeli settlement expansion and the agenda of future talks.

Obama said at the start of the trilateral talks that the sides have made some progress, but have much further to go. He told both leaders it’s time to find a way to break the deadlock. “There is a powerful sense of urgency,” he said.

Obama’s Middle East envoy George Mitchell is to return to the Middle East for another round of mediation next week, and Israeli and Palestinian envoys are to come to Washington. Obama said he expects to receive a progress report in mid-October.

Abbas has said he won’t renew negotiations without an Israeli settlement freeze, as sought by the US and mandated by a US-backed peace plan. Netanyahu insists there’s no way he will halt construction in Israeli enclaves on land the Palestinians want for their state.

An Abbas aide, Yasser Abed Raddo, said that in the trilateral meeting Abbas restated his demand for a complete Israeli settlement freeze. Netanyahu, in turn, demanded that the Palestinians recognise Israel as a Jewish state, Abed Raddo said. Abbas responded by saying that both sides should keep their commitments.

After fruitless mediation attempts by Mitchell last week, Obama summoned Abbas and Netanyahu for a trilateral meeting yesterday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Obama first met separately with Netanyahu and Abbas, before hosting trilateral talks.

In his meeting with Obama, Netanyahu said he wishes to cooperate with the US in its effort to resume peace talks, an Israeli official said.

Defence Minister Ehud Barak, at a briefing after the trilateral meeting, said talks could begin within weeks. Netanyahu called for a swift resumption of talks without preconditions.

In agreeing to meet with Netanyahu, Abbas opened himself to criticism from hardliners at home, particularly his Hamas rivals.

Israeli officials didn’t make it any easier for Abbas. Netanyahu’s media adviser, Nir Hefetz, told Israel Army Radio on Monday that Netanyahu considers the settlers his brothers.

“You have never heard the prime minister say that he will freeze settlements. The opposite is true,” Hefetz said.

Abbas’ aides emphasised before yesterday’s talks that in meeting with Netanyahu, the Palestinian leader is not diluting his positions on resuming negotiations.

“This is not a meeting on declaring a resumption of peace talks. We will not see this,” said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

Israeli President Shimon Peres reportedly proposed that talks resume with a limited agenda, and focus on issues where some progress has already been made, such as the future borders between Israel and a Palestinian state.

In last year’s negotiations, the two sides agreed on the idea of a land swap — Israel would compensate the Palestinians with some territory for any land it wants to annex in the West Bank — but disagreed on the amount to be exchanged.