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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held talks with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Saturday evening, after earlier discussing ways to push a new peace plan with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, U.S. and Israeli sources said. A radio report said Netanyahu and Kerry had a first round of private talks and were then joined by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, Netanyahu's personal envoy Yitzhak Molcho and his national security adviser Yaakov Amidror. Channel 10 News reported that Kerry is planning on offering Israel and the PA an outline which would see Israel releasing terrorists from its prisons and transferring areas...

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will allow Hatnua chairwoman Tzipi Livni to lead the peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, as part of the coalition agreement between the two, but just several months ago Netanyahu made statements that said exactly the opposite. During the election campaign, Netanyahu had reportedly made clear to several of his senior staff that no talks were taking place with Livni or other members of her party, and that the chances of her joining the next government with him as Prime Minister were nil. “Livni managed the negotiations with the Palestinians poorly,” Netanyahu was quoted in December...

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas met Tuesday in Ramallah with representatives of EU countries in the Palestinian Authority and discussed with them the regional situation following the Arab spring and the PA’s position towards the peace process with Israel. Abbas told the European representatives that the PA is ready to resume negotiations with Israel on the basis of the EU’s official positions. He noted that the PA will make use of these EU positions when it submits its recognition to the United Nations General Assembly. He also stressed that the PA’s unilateral statehood bid to the UN does not mean...

José Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission, met on Monday with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The two leaders “discussed the importance of expanding cooperation between Israel and Europe in all areas, Iran's effort to arm itself with nuclear weapons and the resumption of the peace talks with the Palestinians,” Netanyahu's office said in a statement quoted by AFP. European Union officials said in a statement that the two leaders “also discussed the regional situation with president Barroso stating the EU's support for democratic change and political and economic reforms in the wider neighborhood.” The statement added, “They also...

European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso called on Sunday for a return to talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, warning the peace process must not become “an orphan of the Arab Spring.” AFP quoted Barroso as having made the remarks during a trip to Ramallah, where he met PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. “The momentous change that we are witnessing throughout the Arab world should constitute an incitement and not a deterrent to the resumption of negotiations,” Barroso said after meeting Fayyad, according to an advance copy of his remarks. “The Middle East peace...

Palestinian Authority Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas claims the PA bid for UN recognition as a new Arab country in September will not affect talks with Israel. Interrupt for hysterical laughter, give up on reading further.

RAMALLAH, West Bank -The Palestinians will study alternatives to peace talks with Israel in the coming days, a top PLO official said Saturday, after Israel gave the green light to build 238 new houses for Jews on war-won land Palestinians seek for their state. However, it's unlikely the Palestinians will take any dramatic steps before Nov. 2 midterm elections in the U.S., since Arab leaders have already promised the Obama administration more time — until a few days after the vote — to try to relaunch negotiations. Saturday's statements seemed intended mainly as a new warning that Washington's peace efforts...

Palestinians Hold Off On Decision To Quit Peace Talks JERUSALEM (Sept. 27) -- The Palestinian president said Monday he would wait at least a week before deciding whether to quit Mideast peace talks, giving U.S. mediators precious time to broker a compromise after Israel refused to extend its 10-month moratorium on new West Bank settlement construction. President Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the newly launched negotiations if Israel resumes building in the settlements. But with the stakes so high, Abbas said during a visit to Paris that he would not make any hasty decisions. He said he...