As Mideast talks begin, Clinton urges Israelis, Palestinians to seek 'future of peace'

Gallery

Mideast peace talks resume

Convening a new round of negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt between Israel and the Palestinians, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the "time is ripe" for a Mideast peace deal.

» LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY

After the morning remarks, Abbas and Netanyahu met with Clinton and Obama's special envoy for Middle East peace, George J. Mitchell, in the secretary of state's outer office. Afterward, the two leaders met alone for an hour and a half.

An Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because both sides have pledged to keep the talks confidential, said the first meeting went "fairly well." He said Netanyahu and Abbas are determined to "extend a certain commitment to the president at the moment," noting the time and effort that Obama has put into reviving the direct talks.

"He's put a lot of political capital into this, and to see it blow up in a fortnight's time would be very damaging," the official said. "I think both leaders understand this."

Mitchell said the leaders agreed to meet Sept. 14-15 in the Middle East, although the location has yet to be determined. Clinton and Mitchell plan to attend those talks.

Abbas and Netanyahu pledged to meet every two weeks after that to maintain momentum behind the negotiations, which both men have said could be completed within a year.

Mitchell said the leaders decided, as a first stage, to draft a "framework agreement" that will outline the compromises each side must be ready to make to reach a peace agreement.

"You cannot separate process from substance in these negotiations," Mitchell said.

In his opening remarks at the State Department, Netanyahu said, just as Abbas expects Israel to recognize an independent Palestinian state, "We expect you to recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people."

He called such "mutual recognition" - not only of Israel's right to exist, but to exist as a Jewish state - an "indispensable" element of a final agreement.

About 1 million Israelis, or about 20 percent of the population, are of Arab descent. Abbas has previously resisted the idea of recognizing Israel's Jewish character as part of negotiations, arguing that recognizing its right to exist as a nation is enough. The Palestine Liberation Organization, which Abbas heads, recognized "the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security" in 1993.

Abbas, who negotiated several earlier Palestinian agreements with Israel, said the two sides are "not starting from scratch" this round. He called on Netanyahu to "move forward with [Israel's] commitment to end all settlement activities and completely lift the embargo over the Gaza Strip," where Hamas is in power.

Clinton and Netanyahu both cited the recent shooting attack in the West Bank as a reminder of the threats that negotiations will face in the coming months, as groups such as Hamas seek to disrupt the process.

Addressing one of Netanyahu's most pressing concerns, Abbas said security "is vital for both of us, and we cannot allow for anyone to do anything that would undermine your security and our security."

In briefing reporters, Mitchell said one thing he learned from studying previous U.S.-mediated Middle East peace efforts is that "at least in a couple of instances, time ran out."

Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush began serious pushes for peace with a year left in office. Clinton was still attempting to forge a deal as a lame duck.

"This president, I believe, will succeed," Mitchell said. "But, as he said yesterday, neither success nor failure is predetermined or guaranteed, but it isn't going to be because time ran out at the end."