Optimism at possible Israeli-Palestinian peace talks
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There is renewed hope in Washington that Palestinian-Israeli peace talks will resume as early as next week after a hiatus of some 18 months.
In an interview with Israel's Channel 2 TV that was broadcast Monday night, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he is optimistic the Arab League will approve indirect talks when it meets on May 1.
A Syrian newspaper, however, suggested on Tuesday that support from the league was not guaranteed. Syria objects to the pan-Arab governing body making decisions on behalf of the Palestinians.
Yet the mood in Israel and the Palestinian territories remains relatively buoyant after months of pessimism.
Should the talks commence next month though, the leaders will have to agree on their nature.
Road to proximity talks
"Let (Israel) come and try us. In the name of the Palestine Liberation Organization, we are prepared to make an agreement," Abbas said in his opening statement in the interview. He then said he hopes the Arab League will okay the commencement of the talks.
This is something of a turn around on Abbas' part.
Until now, the Palestinian leader has insisted there would be no talks unless Israel agrees to a full cessation of building work both in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
A week ago, sources told Xinhua Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected U.S. demand that Israel halt construction in any part of Jerusalem, which he sees as Israel's "united, indivisible capital."
That leaves Israeli political science professor Galia Golan thinking the change in Abbas' stance must be the result of the Americans exerting intense pressure on him.
"I have a feeling that Abbas has had really no choice; Obama has made it very clear that while he's bringing his pressure on Israel, the relations with Netanyahu are so strained that the Palestinians must come back to negotiations," said Golan, who is a leader of Israel's Peace Now movement.
Golan believed there are positive signals all around when U.S. envoy George Mitchell was in the Middle East this weekend.
"The trouble is you don't know how much of that is propaganda and how much is real," she said.
