Sharm Summit: No Progress; No Explosion

The second round of negotiations with the Palestinians has come to an end today in Sharm el-Sheikh. The major disagreement between the sides is still the building freeze in the settlements.

Anchor: In the meantime, in Sharm they are carrying on with peace talks; the second round of negotiations with the Palestinians is closing there today. The principal point of contention — the construction freeze in the territories — remained alive and kicking. Our emissary Udi Segal is reporting:

– In spite of disagreements, in spite of threats, all made it to the second round of the direct talks in Sharm. Mubarak hosted everybody; Hillary Clinton stood in as a broker beside Mitchell; Netanyahu and Abu Mazen supplied another handshake as well as the silence required to produce progress, or at least a feeling of advancement.

George Mitchell [Special Envoy for Middle East Peace]: “With respect to the core issues, I’m not going to attempt to identify each one that was discussed, but several were, in a very serious, detailed and extensive discussion.”

There was, hovering over the talks all the time, the discord on the matter of the building freeze. Netanyahu told Abu Mazen in the room that construction is about to be resumed in another two weeks, but the disagreement on the matter must not shut down the talks. The Palestinians keep threatening that this is what is going to blow the negotiations up.

Mitchell: “As President Obama said just recently, we think it makes sense to extend the moratorium, especially given that the talks are moving in a constructive direction. We know that this is a politically sensitive issue in Israel. And we have also called on President Abbas to take steps that help encourage and facilitate this process.”

What the envoy Mitchell is saying in very diplomatic words is: We’re movin’ on, keepin’ talking, and will do so tomorrow in Jerusalem, but the cardinal issue everyone has come to discuss — the controversy on the subject of the building in the settlements — has yet to be solved. Everyone is turning in his own perspective: Netanyahu says he is going on with the construction. Abu Mazen says it will ruin the negotiations. And Hillary Clinton is still looking for a formula.

But despite the differences of opinion and the fact that the freeze hurdle has not been overcome, Netanyahu and Abu Mazen are back after lunch for another rendezvous, and tomorrow, for one more time, they will meet at the Prime Minister’s residence, together with Clinton. This is a basic testimony of the seriousness of discussions, but it’s still not a proof.

Anchor: Anyway, Udi, what do you gather from the fact that very little information is coming out of these meetings? Is it progress, or something to the contrary?

– See, the Americans have asked all the sides to speak positively about the negotiations or to keep quiet; for now, they are choosing to hush. We’re witnessing the entrance into the work process: two meetings today in Sharm, another tomorrow between Netanyahu and Abu Mazen. But this time, they are not sitting by themselves, one opposite another, Israel facing Palestinians: There is Madam Hillary Clinton sitting in the room, in the role of an examining officer who’s testing the serious-mindedness of the two parties. The Americans are not quiet; after the heavy pressure they put onto Netanyahu, and Obama’s hugs, they have switched to the policy of both hugging and pressing. On the one hand, they are talking about the end of the conflict, and that this is a Jewish state; on the other hand, they are calling for Netanyahu to continue with the freeze. The Americans are actually telling Netanyahu to either extend the freeze or provide another proof of being serious. Among the other things, there is a proposal: Have intense negotiations about the borders within three months — and then each party will see where it builds, where it freezes, where it evacuates … The Palestinians are ready, but Netanyahu, at the moment, is not.