Arab nations on March 3 gave the green light for Palestinians to enter indirect negotiations with Israel for a preliminary four-month period.
The decision of 14 Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo might break the months-long deadlock over resuming Mideast peace talks, giving Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas the political cover he needed to accept a U.S. offer for new talks.
The United States has proposed so-called proximity talks to end the impasse between Israelis and Palestinians over the conditions for resuming negotiations, which broke down more than a year ago amid Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Abbas has staunchly rejected direct talks unless Israel calls a complete halt to construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — and he had been wary of entering even indirect talks without Arab backing. — ap