Israel decides to support Quartet plan for renewed talks with Palestinians

Israel announced on Wednesday that it supports the Quartet's initiative for renewed talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The plan, presented Friday at UN Headquarters in New York by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, calls for Israel and the Palestinian Authority to renew direct talks within a month, to present proposals on borders and security within three months, and to reach a final agreement by the end of 2012. The Haaretz daily reported today that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the eight senior cabinet members during their meeting on Tuesday night said they believed PA President Mahmoud Abbas will prefer to see his statehood bid through in the UN rather than renewing dialogue with Israel. Meanwhile, the United States yesterday condemned Israel's plan to build 1, 100 new housing units in the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem, which lies beyond the Green Line. Speaking at a press briefing, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said "We are deeply disappointed by this morning's announcement by the government of Israel approving the construction of 1,100 housing units in East Jerusalem." Nuland said the United States considers the Israeli move "counterproductive to our efforts to resume direct negotiations between the parties." When asked how the US could get the Palestinians to return to dialogue after such a statement, Nuland responded that negotiations are difficult and there are issues on both sides, but that Israel had shown flexibility at least in terms of its response to the Quartet's call to return to talks.