Mitchell ends Mideast tour with no breakthrough, admits large obstacles

Palestinians doubt Mitchell success, Americans angry over Israeli incitement against Obama

Abbas explains stance on Goldstone report

PLO, Fatah reject Hamas proposal to postpone reconciliation pact signing

George Mitchell, the top US envoy to the Middle East, wrapped up his latest regional tour on Sunday by meeting with Israel’s prime minister for the second time in three days in a bid to renew Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Mitchell met Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem hours before he was due to head back to the US after a five-day visit.

A statement following the meeting, also attended by Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, said the three men continued talks “to advance the peace process.” It added that lower-level Israeli officials are to travel to Washington this week to try to advance the discussions.

There appeared no sign that the US envoy’s latest tour had yielded any immediate results in reigniting peace negotiations that have been stalled since December, when Israel launched a 22-day onslaught in the Gaza Strip.

Mitchell is under pressure to deliver results from his visit ahead of a progress report that Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, is due to hand to Barack Obama, US president, in coming days.

One of the main obstacles in the talks is Israel’s refusal to freeze construction of Jewish settlements in occupied territory, a key demand by the Palestinians for restarting the peace process.

Mitchell, speaking earlier in Cairo, where he flew late on Saturday to meet Omar Suleiman, Egypt’s intelligence chief, and Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Egyptian foreign minister, told reporters: “It has been and remains an important objective of American policy and of President Obama and the secretary of state personally to achieve comprehensive peace in the Middle East.”

He added: “We understand that there are many difficulties, that there are many obstacles. But we are determined and committed to continue our efforts until that objective is reached.”

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) rejected on Monday hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conditions to resume the stalled peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

In a speech addressed before the Israeli Knesset (parliament) earlier on Monday, Netanyahu renewed his conditions to resume the peace talks as saying "without recognizing the Israel as a Jewish state, there'll be no peace."

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a statement that "Netanyahu is looking for the stage of having no peace partner. He didn't say anything new and he talks about peace in a language of public relations."

The Middle East peace process has been installed since last year, as the PNA insists that peace talks with Israel would never be resumed unless Israel stops settlement and recognize the principle of the two-state solution.

"We can never accept resumption with the continuation of settlement, without Jerusalem and the refugees' right to return. We won't recognize Israel as a Jewish state," said Erekat.

The new U.S. administration of President Barack Obama has been exerting efforts to have a compromise, mainly on settlement activities, between the two sides and resume the peace talks.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian cabinet headed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said in a statement that the last visit of U.S. peace envoy George Mitchell to the region didn't achieve any tangible progress.

"Although it was an important visit, but it has not led to any tangible progress, mainly in the efforts to achieve a breakthrough and re-launch the peace process and guarantee its success," the PNA cabinet statement said.

Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday defended his controversial decision to support deferring a vote on a damning Gaza war report at the UN Human Rights Council.

Abbas said the Palestinian delegation at the Geneva-based council backed the October 2 postponement of a vote on the so-called Goldstone report which was highly critical of Israel in order to gather maximum support for the measure.

"Since we felt that we would not be able to gather enough support, we asked for the postponement of the draft resolution until the upcoming session of the Human Rights Council" in March, he said.

Abbas said following the outrage over the deferral, which sparked criticism from Palestinian civil society groups and across the Arab world, he was directing Palestinian representatives at the UN to work toward bringing the Goldstone report for an early vote at the Human Rights Council.

He said the "storm of criticism" at the decision by Hamas was aimed at postponing a long-delayed Palestinian reconciliation deal that Egypt had announced for October 25-26 in Cairo.

"We are totally aware of this campaign by Hamas aimed at serving their interests, which is to postpone the signature of the reconciliation agreement," Abbas said. "They want to consolidate their rule and their regime in Gaza."

But Meshaal, in a speech in Damascus shortly after Abbas's address, said the atmosphere was not right for a deal between the rival factions.

"The Goldstone report was the final straw ... We can not accept any more mistakes," Meshaal said in a speech in Damascus, shortly after Abbas's address. "This is not a leadership which deserves our trust."

The decision to ask for a delay was a "scandal," he said. "The timing is now not right" for a reconciliation deal.

"The attitude of the Palestinian leadership on the Goldstone report has blocked the continuation of the inter-Palestinian dialogue," he said, although efforts were continuing with Egypt on a new timetable.

"Fatah deserves a better leadership" than one which had lied to the Palestinian people over the delay, said Meshaal.

Hamas has led the torrent of criticism of Abbas, charging he "betrayed" the some 1,400 Palestinian victims (mainly civilians) of the December-January war and has asked Egypt to postpone the signing of the reconciliation deal because of the decision.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party on Wednesday said it had accepted a proposal to hold new presidential and legislative elections next year as part of a broad package meant to end a bitter rivalry with the Islamic militant group Hamas.

Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan said the party had signed the Egyptian-mediated proposal and was dispatching an envoy to Cairo on Thursday to deliver the response. With Egypt seeking a response by Thursday, it remained unclear whether Hamas would accept the deal.

"We have accepted the Egyptian request. Fatah doesn't want to put any obstacles in the way of efforts for national reconciliation. Whoever doesn't respond positively to these efforts will be held responsible," Dahlan said.

The Palestinians have had two rival governments since Hamas fighters ousted pro-Abbas security forces from the Gaza Strip in June 2007. Hamas remains in control of Gaza, while the Western-backed Fatah governs the West Bank. The Palestinians claim both areas as parts of a future independent state.

The infighting has complicated U.S.-led efforts to forge peace between Israel and the Palestinians. While talking to the West Bank government, Israel considers Hamas a terrorist group and maintains a tight blockade over Gaza.

Under the Egyptian proposal, the Palestinians would hold presidential and legislative elections on June 28. In the meantime, Hamas would allow some 3,000 Fatah loyalists to return to duty in the security forces in Gaza. Monitoring committees would work toward establishing a unified Palestinian security force for Gaza and the West Bank, while the rivals would form a separate committee to work together to prepare for the elections.

Fatah negotiator Azzam al-Ahmed said he would deliver the signed agreement to the Egyptians on Thursday. "We signed it without reservations. I hope that Hamas will also sign the agreement so that we can together begin the process of ending the split and restoring national unity."

The proposal does not address some of the key issues in the dispute, most importantly whether a unified Palestinian government would accept international demands to renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist.

Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel was a major point of friction in a short-lived Palestinian unity government that disintegrated during the Gaza infighting.

Hostilities remain deep, so any deal is likely to be fragile. Hamas has said that if it accepts the Egyptian proposal, it is not ready to attend a joint signing ceremony with Fatah in the current atmosphere, though a celebration could take place after a Muslim holiday in late November.

Hamas is furious over Abbas' handling of a U.N. report that accused Israel of committing war crimes during a military offensive in Gaza last winter.

Under heavy U.S. pressure, Abbas suspended efforts to press the case against Israel at the U.N. He later reversed himself, but the damage was done and Hamas continues to vilify the president incessantly. Fatah officials, meanwhile, say they want an apology from the detractors.

In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the group was still studying the proposal "with all credibility and seriousness."

"We confirm that we are dedicated to the direction of the Egyptian efforts but in a way that confirms our rights and principles and the demands and principles of the Palestinian people."