Abbas: Talks with Israel are over

Exploratory peace talks with Israel have ended with nothing to show for them, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said this week, pledging to consult with the Arab League about the next moves and leaving open the possibility of an extension.

After a total break of more than a year, international mediators persuaded the sides to send their negotiators to Jordan to explore the possibility of resuming peace talks. Reflecting the depth of their differences, they could not even agree on when to submit proposals.

Israeli and Palestinian envoys met several times over the past month in Jordan. The Quartet of international mediators — the U.S., the U.N., the EU and Russia — said last fall that it expected both sides to submit detailed proposals on borders and security arrangements, in hopes the dialogue would evolve into full-fledged peace talks.

Abbas said Jan. 25 that he would discuss prospects for future talks with the Arab League next week. Israel wants to keep talking, and Abbas is under mounting international pressure not to walk away.

Meanwhile, in a statement released Jan. 23, foreign ministers from the EU’s 27 member countries referred to their concern over Israeli settlements. “Against the backdrop of worrying developments on the ground in 2011, particularly with regards to settlements, the EU reaffirms its commitment to a two-state solution,” the release said. — jta & ap