Mitchell leaves before Israel-PA talks launched

Biden brushes off Palestinian anger over new housing starts

By ICEJ News

09 Mar 2010

US special Mideast envoy George Mitchell left Jerusalem for Washington early Tuesday, signaling that he had not been able to launch “proximity talks” between Israel and the Palestinian Authority during the visit of US Vice President Joe Biden, as had been widely expected.

During his latest visit, Mitchell was able to announce that the indirect negotiations would resume soon under his mediation, but he left with PA officials fuming over new Jewish housing starts approved in a West Bank settlement and in eastern Jerusalem.

Despite the Palestinian ire, US State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley acknowledged on Monday that Israel's approval of 112 new homes in Beitar Illit, a large ultra-Orthodox community adjacent to the "Green Line" that Israel will likely retain, did not violate the ten-month limited moratorium imposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli officials added that the approvals had actually been granted by former premier Ehud Olmert and work needed to begin on the new housing units to avoid a safety hazard in laying infrastructure for other homes in the new neighborhood.

The controversy seemed to have little impact on today’s meeting between Biden and Netanyahu. Biden praised the Israeli leader for taking significant steps to create a better atmosphere with the Palestinians, including the settlement moratorium and measures that have increased Palestinian movement in the West Bank.

"It is easy to point fingers, particularly in this part of world as to what each side has not done, but it is also important to give credit where things have been done, in order to be able to move forward," Biden said. He added that the US "will always stand with those who take risks for peace," which he was sure Netanyahu would do.

Finally, in a meeting with Quartet envoys last Friday, Mitchell's deputy David Hale said the proximity talks would not pick up where the Annapolis process ended, with generous offers from the Olmert government rejected by the PA. Rather, they will be based on President Obama's speech to the UN, which described the goal of a secure, Jewish state in Israel alongside a viable, independent Palestine, as well as Secretary of State Clinton's statement regarding a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with territorial exchanges, combined with Israel's desire for a secure Jewish state that includes "recent developments," meaning the settlement blocs.

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