Backgrounder: Israeli, Palestinian standpoints on peace talks
Backgrounder: Palestinian-Israeli peace talks
 |
| (L to R) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Palestinian National Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas attend the launching ceremony of the direct negotiation between Palestine and Israel at the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C., the United States, Sept. 2, 2010. (Xinhua/Wang Chengyun) |
BEIJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Many countries and international organizations have welcomed the restored Palestine-Israel direct talks, but over a dozen Palestinian militant groups cast a shadow by vowing to step up attacks on Israeli targets.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Thursday resumed direct talks in Washington after a 20-month hiatus.
The talks, hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are aimed at ending a six-decade conflict between the two sides within a year.
Clinton said, "You each have taken an important step toward freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity that only you can create."
Direct negotiations have been stalled since 2008 after Israeli forces raided the devastated Gaza Strip to halt rocket attacks from the enclave ruled by the militant Hamas movement.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his pleasure about the restarted peace talks, appealing for Palestine and Israel to strengthen their cooperation to reduce tensions.
But he also pointed out the Mideast peace process isn't smooth and all sides must work hard, warning some groups are trying to stymie the process.
European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek both welcomed the resumption of the direct talks.
