By Agencies
CAIRO: The Arab League on Saturday said it backed indirect peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis, despite what it called a lack of Israeli conviction in the process.
Top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told a Cairo news conference that a final decision to resume indirect talks with Israel would be taken by the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee.
The Arab League decision to endorse so-called proximity talks was taken by a committee of foreign ministers after "guarantees" by US President Barack Obama in a letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"Despite the lack of conviction of the Israeli side in achieving peace, the committee affirms what was agreed on the 2nd of March 2010 in regards to the time period for the indirect negotiations," a statement by the 22-member League said.
It was referring to a decision by Arab foreign ministers in March to back one last round of indirect peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians within a four-month deadline.
But the committee insisted that the indirect talks should "not be immediately succeeded by direct talks".
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem told a news conference that the time period for indirect talks was two months, adding: "If these negotiations go well, we will extend the period".
The League statement reaffirmed its demand that Israel announce a complete end to settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday she expected the Israelis and Palestinians to begin indirect talks next week. Hopes of the talks starting in March were dashed when Israel announced new settlements in annexed East Jerusalem — a move that angered the Arabs and infuriated the United States and the international community.
Abbas signaled earlier in the week that he would be willing to resume negotiations, telling an Israeli TV station that he would present the US proposal to the Arab League. The talks, however, will not be the face-to-face meetings the Obama administration had hoped to put in place more than a year after peace efforts broke down amid Israel's war on Gaza.
The Palestinians have refused to sit down at the same table with Israel until it agrees to freeze all construction in West Bank settlements and in east Jerusalem. The indirect talks, with US envoy George Mitchell shuttling between the two sides, were meant as a compromise.
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday that the talks would get started next week.
Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi cautioned that the Palestinians would still be waiting to see stronger Israeli compromises on settlement construction. “If it is to succeed then there are requirements that have to be fulfilled in order to give Mitchell's shuttle diplomacy ... some credibility and substance,” she said. “Of course we need to see on the ground that Israel has stopped settlement activities in Jerusalem, around Jerusalem and everywhere else”.
Arab News
