Mygripe A ONE-YEAR timeframe to seal a Middle East peace deal is “realistic”, the lead US envoy has insisted, saying Israel and the Palestinians face a “window of opportunity” to agree on a two-state solution.
But George Mitchell’s statement, before the reopening of talks between the sides, came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the “blood of Israeli civilians” would not go unpunished as he vowed to hunt the killers of four Israelis near a Jewish West Bank settlement last night.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has invited Mr Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Washington to resume direct negotiations after a 20-month hiatus.
“We believe these negotiations can be completed within one year,” said Senator Mitchell today.
“We will engage with perseverance and patience to try to bring them to a successful conclusion,” he said, insisting the timeline was “realistic.”
The US would have an “active and sustained role” in this week’s direct talks, but US negotiators do not believe Palestinian militants Hamas will join in.
“We do not expect Hamas to play a role in this immediate process,” he said, adding that the US would “welcome the full participation by Hamas and all relevant parties once they comply with the basic requirements of democracy and non-violence that are, of course, a prerequisite to engage in these serious types of discussions”.
Hamas has formally rejected Washington’s call for direct Israeli-Palestinian talks to resume at this week’s summit. A militant wing last night claimed responsibility for a deadly gun attack on a car carrying four Israelis near a settlement in the West Bank. Two men and two women – one believed to have been pregnant – were killed.
Mr Netanyahu said in Washington the “blood of Israeli civilians” would not go unpunished. “We witnessed today a savage murder of four innocent Israelis. There are seven new orphans that were added to the circle of grief in Israel.”
The attack was celebrated by Hamas supporters on the streets of Gaza but condemned by Israel, the White House and Mr Abbas, who arrived in the US capital shortly before Mr Netanyahu.
The last round of direct talks collapsed when Israel launched a devastating three-week offensive in Gaza in December 2008 in a bid to halt rocket fire from the enclave ruled by the militant Hamas movement. Mygripe
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