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Israel, Palestinians Resume Final-Status Talks
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators resumed their final-status talks Thursday in order to reach a framework agreement on final-status issues to pave the way for striking a final peace deal by September.
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, has confirmed the resumption of the talks, but he could neither disclose where the talks were held nor who took part in the talks.
There were two tracks of final-status talks between the two sides. One was attended by Israeli chief negotiator Oded Eran and his Palestinian counterpart Yasser Abed Rabbo, while another one was held between Israeli Public Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami and Palestinian Legislative Council Speaker Ahmed Qurei.
The negotiations between the two sides have been bogged down in recent weeks. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has urged U.S. President Bill Clinton to put more pressure on Israel to force it to make compromise.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who was in Lisbon, Portugal, to hold talks with Clinton Thursday, blamed the Palestinian side for foot-dragging in negotiations.
Barak has moved his meeting with Clinton to Thursday morning in Lisbon, instead of an evening meeting originally planned for Berlin, Germany. This will enable him to rush home for the Jerusalem Day celebrations marking Israel's 1967 capture of the holy city which remains at the heart of the dispute with the Palestinians.
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