Arab League chief: Peace talks will likely be unsuccessful
Israel's Vice Premier: Israel won't vote on extending temporary settlement freeze, due to expire next month, before peace talks begin.
By Reuters Tags: Middle East peace Silvan Shalom Amr Moussa Arab LeagueArab League chief Amr Moussa said on Sunday he had little hope that direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, which are due to start on Thursday, will be successful.
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Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa attends an emergency meeting concerning Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in Egypt on June 2, 2010. |
| Photo by: AP |
He also said that he would not seek re-election as secretary general of the Arab League after his second mandate expires in March.
"We are hoping that talks will succeed but we are all very pessimistic about the viability of the peace process because of the past experience," Moussa told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of a political conference in Slovenia.
He said U.S. President Barack Obama's sponsorship of talks was the only reason to hope for success.
"The only reason [for the hope in the success of the talks] is the sincerity of President Obama and his wish to achieve something good in his presidency," Moussa said.
He said Obama had given the Palestinians assurances that Israel would stop settling new territory during talks that are due to last for one year.
"If we find that during that year Israel continues to build settlements, there is no use in waiting for the full year [of talks]" Moussa said.
"Then we will have to reconsider the situation because you cannot negotiate while the Israelis are settling the territory," he added.
Asked whether he would run for another mandate as the Arab League chief, Moussa said: "It is not my intention to do so."
Meanwhile Sunday, Vice Premier Silvan Shalom said that Israel would not vote on extending the currently instated temporary freeze on Israeli construction in West Bank settlements before the start of the peace talks in Washington on September 2.
The 10-month freeze is set to expire on September 26. Palestinian officials have declared that talks would break down if Israel resumed construction in the settlements after that date.
Netanyahu, facing pressure from pro-settler groups in his own government, met other ministers on Sunday to discuss a compromise to permit construction to resume only in several settlement blocs Israel seeks to keep under any peace deal.
Shalom said in an interview that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised him his cabinet would vote on the issue only after the Jewish High Holidays later this month, which fall after the peace summit is held.
"He told us today there will be no decision on Sept. 2 about freezing settlements," Shalom said, quoting Netanyahu from a closed door session with ministers earlier on Sunday, adding it would be at least two weeks before the government would vote.
Shalom, a veteran member of Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, said he objected to the idea and rejected the Palestinian call for Israel to extend its settlement freeze ahead of talks was "an unacceptable demand".
He said any decision to ultimately extend the settlement freeze may also create a rift that could topple Netanyahu's coalition government and force an early national election.
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,hence constant flaring up of clashes between Muslim's and Kopts there . No wonder he wants to mainain construction freeze on other infidels,Israelis.
Of course the peace talks will fail, who expects otherwise. And the eason will again be arab rejectionism of Israel's right to exist. If they did accept israel they would know that points like the right of return are hopelesss and they would start trading for something realistic. But no, they want to stick to the script becasue if they don't hamas will take the PA down with force. So its more gibberish from the palestinians swearing how desparate they are for a state but refusing to take action to get one. Erekat, Moussa, Abbas they are just pawns of Iran, syria, Hamas and Hezbollah .. those are the plaeyers calling the shot today mot abbas or the PA and certainly not Fayyad not matter how much Washington and EU bureacrats love him .... so if you know you can't deliver, you might as well start setting the stage for blaming the ther side ... we're way past ya mahoud ...
There can be no successful peace treaty between Jews and Arabs as long as Arabs demand control of the City of David, Mount of Olives and other Jewish and Christian sites in East Jerusalem. Will the day come when Christians are allowed to sell popcorn during the Haj in Mecca? Arab Palestinians benefit financially from the Jewish and Christian holidays in Israel, so why not?
Your forces can't even challenge Al Shabbab or prevent the murder and rape of innocent forces in those areas where genocide goes on unchecked. Do something in the Sudan and Somalia. The AU has as much say in Israel as the EU. America holds the deck and can deal fair or not. I know what is happening now isn't right but I can rest assured that in a hundred years my generation won't be blamed. Us boomers will correct the lies and vindicate all "mistakes" like carpet bombing. God bless America
that Israel will negotiate with Hamas.
Hamas is not a party to the talks IC, the PA is. Statesmanship requires wisdom which Israel hasn't shown much of lately. If the country is truly dedicated to the path of a peace treaty, she will have to vote to extend the freeze. It is obvious no Palestinian party could negotiate if this is not done. A choice will have to be made.
stop the oppression and land theft ---then hamas will go away.