Israel welcomes mooted peace talks

Israel has welcomed a proposal by international mediators to resume long-stalled talks with the Palestinians but said it has some concerns about the plan.

Senior Cabinet ministers discussed the proposal at a meeting yesterday.

The plan by the Quartet of Mideast mediators calls for the resumption of talks and a deal within a year. It was put forth after the Palestinians last month asked the UN to recognise their state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says Israel “welcomes the Quartet’s call for direct negotiations between the parties without preconditions” but said it has unspecified “concerns” about the proposal.

The Quartet includes the US, European Union, United Nations and Russia.

In Cairo, senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said Mr Netanyahu’s welcome of the Quartet proposal was disingenuous, since the Israeli leader has rejected the Quartet’s previous calls for a settlement freeze and its endorsement of the 1967 lines.

The Quartet’s latest statement did not explicitly mention either issue, though it “reaffirmed” its past positions.

“Mr Netanyahu should put his money where his mouth is and announce he will stop settlements and accept a two-state solution based on 1967,” Mr Erekat said.

“If he doesn’t accept this, it means he’s playing a game of deception and public relations. No one is going to swallow it.”

The Palestinians themselves have not endorsed the latest Quartet proposal, instead repeating their calls for a settlement freeze and terms of reference on future borders.