Barak to Netanyahu: Don't miss this chance for peace

Israel continues with newly authorized settlement construction even though Netanyahu claimed to have frozen construction. East Jerusalem evictions continue. Netanyahu plants trees in a settlement announcing it will remain part of Israel. New Jewish heritage sites are named. These are not signs of an Israeli nation that wants to negotiate peace. To the contrary, Israel is continuing what has brought violence to the Middle East, namely taking from the Palestinians. Palestinian leaders are ready to negotiate. There is a need for third party mediation to avoid unfounded propaganda about which nation obfuscates. It would be good for Israel to accept the USA as an intermediary and also advance the use of the EU and Russia to asssure more openness in the negotiations.

It sounds like yoiu think this is some kids game we are playing..Too late YOU LOSE. This battle for the turf is so simple in your eyes. They loose..they disappear and Redemption has come on Zion. Sorry sir..but this is BS. More of the same for another 40 years is not the same. It is no redemption..not for the land, not for our physical lives and definitely not spiritually. Might is Fight ..Fight is NOT Right.

And you damn well know it!

Put UN Resolutions 242 and 446 aside and the UN recognition of the PLO in 1974 aswell. What Rights? Think about it? Does Israel have the right to a homeland? The right not to be turned into refugees living in slums? How about roadblocks, hundreds of them? And being bombbarded by excessive force and blockaded? How about the right not to be evicted from homes because some Jewish biblical guy lived or had a party there thousands of years ago? This kind of stuff Bobby.There is a long list. You know, basic human rights. Otherwise Palestine or Israel...who cares .Basic human rights thats all.

Please elaborate. Exactly WHAT rights do the **Palestinians** have ?? They are not even a "people". Was there a "Palestinian People" 30,40,50 years ago. I am sincerely trying to see your point, please tell about their rights. Thank you.

Yishai, correct as usual. Empty suit Abbas is not capable of peace. Hamas wants all Jews in the sea and 100% Islamic Middle East. If Abbas deviates from this, the choices are death or Hamas not abiding by treaties. Pretty simple, Hamas will be the detriment to peace. If Israel offers 80% of Israel and 100% of West Bank, thats still 20% short for Hamas. This has NOTHING to do with Settlements or Occupation. The 100% one-way street mentality will prevent peace. Until an Arab peace figure who believes in win-win emerges, we are all fantasizing. Yishai's correct, too late.

1.) Call him up on the phone and tell him his allowance is suspended. 2.) Refuse to meet with him or entertain his minions. 3.) Make it clear that actions matter, and reward those actions that are positive. 4.) Don't give him a stage in this country...he enjoys the stage he's on in Israel anyway. 5.) Host a State dinner for Abbas.

You wouldn't make a very good negotiator. You lack insight into strategy. And by the way, why should one expect a positive, optimistic, and visionary comment from someone who calls himself Malach HaMavet?

We (the good intentioned people) all like the sound of peace talks, whether direct or indirect but will they produce anything after 4 months with a coalition that is full of right wing fanatics that dont give a damn about Palestinians and their rights? And with a US congress and lobby groups that support Israel no matter what, I dont think US pressure would do much. Perhaps Obama using his power and threateneing to cut off Aid and Loan guarantees might do a bit but that will cost him the election, like George H Bush back in 1992. So it seems like after 4 months it will all be back to square one and the Palestinians will have to adopt another path.Meanwhile Israel will keep losing friends. The EU nations might look like supporters in public but behind closed doors there is a lot of fustration with Israel.

The Israelis should have no objection to these negotiations taking place - as long as they do not interfere with their long-term objective of an unresticted land grab.

The PLO????? Are they still around? So, when are they going to liberate Jordan? or is it Syria? I forget. There is so many Palestinian factions, no wonder they cannot be a viable partner for peace in the MidEast.

Mitchell must be a comedian or an idiot. He does not seem to know what he is talking about. The fact is Netanyahu knows more about the wolves and the tigers in the region than Mitchell. It is the latter that is simplistic and naive.

when you finish building your house in a 50 yeazr project , what do you do? Answer, you look for a new one. Same here, talks just irritate the wounds. Just say no. Finished. Let them go to the 1.5 billion brothers for help. Jews have nowhere else to go.

When have these Arabs ever "negotiated" anything? Abbas will sit there and say "more, more, more.." and "Israel?, what Israel?"

The whole world is tired of us ! and they are so right ! We will have to prevent ourselves from going in the wrong direction. We are tired too !

and therefore it is incumbent upon Bibi not to waver when it comes to secure borders, boundaries and best security interests of Israel. The question is if Bibi can maintain fortitude in the wake of Obama only pressure which is sure to come. BIbi start believing in the G-d of Israel and do right in fear of G-d not in fear of Barak Husain and his few robotic yesmen.

... like a small child who does not want to give up his lollipop...

Barak, Olmert did that and they got the finger.

These talks will fail as all past talks have failed the past 20 years because America is involved. America's long pro-Israel prevents it from being a fair and honest broker. Israel is never held to its obligations or commitments. The Americans have sat back over all these years while Israel has built one illegal settlement after another in violation of past agreements. The Palestinians should seek a neutral party for the talks, not 100% biased Americans.

the braindead buffoons think another 4 months will solve the problem ?

Fools talk of two-states as though incitement hasn't already killed that option. Better they should spend their time talking about incitement. No one is going to cede Judea for an Arab handshake. And Jerusalem? Arabs say Jerusalem or no deal...how easy to say No!

"The United States has offered to mediate" They have nominated themselves for an Oscar under the title, Malice in Wonderland.

Then he sat completely paralysed while pals were running amuck and bombing Israeli buses almost daily. This man is in love with the concession process ,not the peace .

politician.

Children under 12 could resolve this issue in less than 2 weeks. If men cannot do this, allow the women folk to pursue peace. Men just prolong the chest beating for own ends. Has anyone thought of staged peace efforts? And why can't the PA think separately from the Arab League? Do they need AL permission to go to the john?

The PLO and the PA should have resigned years ago. The palestinians need a new blood and new faces . A lot of time has been wasted . Nothing has been done to improve the misery that the palestinians endure on a daily basis and the israeli governments don,t care either. I realy don,t know how these people of the PLO and the PA think ! what do they expect from Netenyaho and Lieberman!! . It looks like they want to talk just for the sake of talking or they are way over confident of Obama,s full support against the disires of Lieberman and Netanyahoo who do not waste any opportunity to assure the settlers of their real intensions about enforcing the construction of more settlements in the territories.

moment when the indirect negotiations will not yield anything new.They Authority shuld resign and wein the Palestinians off this false hope of a negotiated peace with israel. It did nto work and will not work because Israel is not committed to do what is needed to achieve a just peace.....

intifada

The Borders should be the first priority and that includes Jerusalem. From that almost everything else will be determined, including water and connection to Gaza which should be by deep tunnel - chunnel-style. Hope the proposed maps start leaking to the press sooner than later. If maps aren't being proposed, there is no good faith effort.

Abbas has already defined his pre-conditions, leaving no room for negotiations

we wait with baited breath and all know these talks will go nowhere becaused they do not want peace. they want to kill or drive all of us into the ocean.

These guys are funny, what? they're doing Israel a favor? Indirect talks? Not even willing to come to the table and talk directly with Israel? Arab League needs to provide cover for Abbas? Why? Afraid his own people might kill him for talking with Israel. Hey Abbas it's not the settlements stupid! It's your hate filled education of your children, it has amounted to child abuse. Now you can't control your kids and they will kill you if you do anything considered moderate. Is that why you recently called for a return to violence? and why you recently questioned Israel's right to exist? What deal can you come to with a country(Israel) that you won't recognize?

They have chosen war and terror instead of a state once too many times. The only difference between them and Hamas is that Hamas admits that they want to "throw the Jews into the sea". These duplicitous PLO terrorists try to hide it. For all of them their party is over. Time to pack them all up and ship them back to Tunis and Beirut where they belong- minus those with blood on their hands. For the sake of peace.

Indirect talks are meaningless. It is more like PLO Taqiyya talk.

Not by giving but by doing nothing.

u.s. mediation will lead to nothing. they are already mediating since 1945. what are the results and solutions so far? the u.s. is biased to one party. led the asian organization and the united nations mediate!