Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Netanyahu sparks 'cautious hope' at peace talks
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Netanyahu sparks 'cautious hope' at peace talks
AFP - Thursday, September 2
Send
IM Story
Print
Netanyahu sparks 'cautious hope' at peace talks
WASHINGTON (AFP) - – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to forge a "historic" peace with the Palestinians Wednesday, injecting cautious hope into US President Barack Obama's long-odds Middle East talks.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas met hawkish Netanyahu's conciliatory rhetoric by calling for an end to bloodshed after the latest Hamas attack in the West Bank, but also demanded a halt to Israel settlement activity.
On a day of dramatic White House diplomacy, Abbas and Netanyahu exchanged smiles and shook hands before the cameras, in imagery the White House hopes will dispel mutual suspicion and deep skepticism over Obama's initiative.
But the tough talking begins on Thursday, when the pair meet at the State Department and begin the first direct Israeli-Palestinian talks for 20 months, with issues that have thwarted previous peace efforts on the table. Related article:Two-thirds of Israelis support settlement building
Obama called on both sides not to let slip a fleeting opportunity for peace, a Palestinian state and a secure Israel within a year, as he gathered the two leaders, with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
"This moment of opportunity may not soon come again," said Obama, who met the leaders separately, and then hosted a dinner also including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and diplomatic Quartet representative Tony Blair.
" Now is the time for leaders of courage and vision to deliver the peace that their people deserve."
Netanyahu's dramatic opening gambit came at a White House press appearance which saw the leaders detail their positions for the world to see and promise to search in good faith for peace after decades of strife.
"President Abbas, you are my partner in peace," Netanyahu said.
"I came here today to find an historic compromise that will enable both our peoples to live in peace and security and dignity."
But Netanyahu's warm words did not disguise the steel of his position.
After two Hamas attacks on Israelis in the West Bank within as many days, Netanyahu vowed he would secure assurances on security, warning "terrorists" would not block the path to peace.
"We left Lebanon, we got terror. We left Gaza, we got terror. We want to ensure that territory we concede will not be turned into a third Iranian sponsored terror enclave aimed at the heart of Israel."
His office meanwhile said there had been no change to the Israeli position that a partial moratorium on West Bank settlement construction would expire at the end of the month.
Abbas turned to Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House and condemned Tuesday's attack by Hamas which killed four Israelis and Wednesday's strike in which two more were injured.
"We do not want at all that any blood be shed... one drop of blood on the part of Israelis and Palestinians," he said.
Obama had earlier branded the first attack "senseless slaughter" and warned it was an example of how opponents of the effort would try to halt progress.
Hamas, which rules Gaza, is opposed to the peace talks and is a rival of Abbas's US-backed Palestinian Authority.
Abbas also demanded a total freeze on settlement activity -- without which Palestinians have threatened to walk out of the peace talks.
Obama pronounced himself "cautiously optimistic" about the day's events, though many analysts have commented that prospects for progress seem dim, given the fierce divides and lack of popular momentum for a new era of peacemaking.
"We are under no illusions. Passions run deep. Each side has legitimate and enduring interests. Years of mistrust will not disappear over night," Obama said.
The direct talks on Thursday at the State Department -- the result of painstaking US diplomacy -- will take place with few of the parties, or outside observers, predicting success amid widespread regional distrust.
The issues on the table at the US-mediated talks -- the status of Jerusalem, security, the borders of a Palestinian state and the right of return for Palestinian refugees have confounded all previous mediation attempts.
Despite his vow to shepherd the peace talks, Obama warned however that the United States could not simply impose a solution to the decades-long conflict.
"Ultimately the United States cannot impose a solution and we cannot want it more than the parties themselves," Obama said.
The direct talks will begin at 10:00 am (1400 GMT) on Thursday, officials said.
Clinton, Netanyahu and Mahmud Abbas will all make opening statements before the international media, the State Department said.
The Quartet of the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia launched a roadmap for peace in 2003 that calls for a Palestinian state living alongside a secure Israel.
Top level talks in search of the elusive peace deal broke off in 2008 when Israel invaded the Palestinian Gaza Strip to halt militant rocket fire on its south.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
News Search
Top Stories
'Animal' Blair's memoirs risk opening old wounds
Netanyahu sparks 'cautious hope' at peace talks
'Terrorists' will not block path to peace: Netanyahu
Diabetes drug fights lung cancer in mice: study
Biden launches new US mission in Iraq
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Exercise cuts genetic obesity risk by 40 percent: study
'Prostitute' Carla Bruni deserves death: Iran media
Greece smoking ban takes effect
Airbus begins building first A350 XWB jets
'Animal' Blair's memoirs risk opening old wounds
More Most Viewed »
Obama endorses mosque plan near Ground Zero
Earth's upper atmosphere shrinking, scientists say
Tiger's ex breaks her silence on sex scandal
Belgian man dies of South Asian superbug
Most US students think Beethoven is a dog
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Thursday, 2 September 2010 Obama opens Mideast peace summit, says U.S. resolute
Blasts kill 20 in Pakistan's Lahore, 170 hurt
|
Fix political impasse before you go, Iraqis tell U.S.
Target stores to sell Facebook gift cards
Biden launches new US mission in Iraq
GM's US sales plunge nearly 25 percent
Indian government begins allocating 3G bandwidth
60 states to lobby U.N. for currency transaction tax
|
Explosions Rock Propane Shop In PA Town, Neighborhood Evacuated
US deaths in Afghanistan hit record in 2010
US private employment slips first time in seven months
BBC staff vote for strike over pension overhaul
|
Queen Elizabeth II to Name Cunard's Latest Vessel
Blair memoir lifts lid on Iraq, alcohol and royals
Lebanon sends warrant for suspected spy to Interpol
U.S. Defense Department Did Not Apologize To Pakistani Delegation
Greece smoking ban takes effect
Survey: 77 Percent of American Workers Living Paycheck to Paycheck
Tourists Ordered To Evacuate North Carolina Islands Ahead Of Hurricane Earl
Police Lock Down Maryland Building In Standoff With Gunman
Sony unveils new e-readers, adds touchscreen to all models
Number of victims in Congo mass rape increases: U.N.
|
Pakistani Military Cancels Meet With DoD After Airport Humiliation
Nominees Announced For The 44th Annual CMA Awards
Group Turns Down FBI Protection Of Ground Zero Mosque
Palestinian forces arrest dozens of Hamas activists
The Wendy Williams Show Is Back; Kicks Off On Labor Day
Apple takes wraps off new lineup of iPods
|
Evacuations start as US braces for Hurricane Earl
Biden launches new US mission in Iraq
Media stocks beat market ahead of Apple launch
|
US forces officially begin new Iraq mission: Biden
Toyota's US auto sales drop 31.4 percent in August
IMF, Pakistan to issue statement on review Sept 2
WRAPUP 7-Blasts kill 20 in Pakistan's Lahore, 170 hurt
India tells Google, Skype to set up local servers
U.S. adds Pakistan Taliban to terror list
Thai PM calls economic meeting over currency
China slams allegations of exchange rate subsidies
Death toll in Pakistan blasts hits 18-official
Mob burns Pakistan police station after bombs
Blasts in Pakistan's Lahore kill at least 3
Katy Perry tops U.S. album chart for first time
|
Iran director banned from travelling to Venice fest
|
US-TECH Summary
Rodriguez's Machete plays tough themes for laughs
|
Sony unveils new e-readers, adds touchscreen to all models
Media stocks beat market ahead of Apple launch
Washington Post sportswriter suspended for Twitter hoax
'BRICI' countries to drive digital revolution: study
Hamas claims responsibility for West Bank attack
'Animal' Blair's memoirs risk opening old wounds
Israel and Palestinians set for face-to-face talks
|
US charges Pakistan Taliban chief over CIA killings
Pakistan boosts security after Lahore bombs
|
Dutch authorities release Yemeni suspects
Nokia to close down data access service Ovi Files
Netanyahu sparks 'cautious hope' at peace talks
Australia's Gillard inches closer to power
|
'Terrorists' will not block path to peace: Netanyahu
Sweden to reopen rape probe of WikiLeaks founder
Apple and TV networks clash over 99 cent rentals
Katy Perry Earns First Billboard #1 Album With "Teenage Dream"
Mubarak urges Netanyahu to act on peace chance
Diabetes drug fights lung cancer in mice: study
Merkel sticks to guns on 'brutal' austerity cuts
Pakistan flood victims await help, one month on
|
Biden says Iraq close to forming government
Mediator named in Tribune Co. bankruptcy case
Eminem And Rihanna Top Billboard Hot 100 For Sixth Week With "Love The Way You Lie"
Eminem Beats Out Debuts From Kem, Iron Maiden On Billboard Albums Chart
China coal trucks stuck in 120 km traffic jam
|
U.S. delays Web traffic rules by seeking more comment
U.S. charges Pakistani Taliban leader in CIA killings
|
ASCAP flips switch on free app
Chip revenue expected to grow 31.5 percent in 2010: Gartner
Dutch mother held, suspected of killing three babies
|
India to target Google and Skype for data access
Nokia to close down data access service Ovi Files
Thai Yellow Shirts convicted of slandering Thaksin
Police end hostage drama at U.S. Discovery Channel
China coal miner digs down to dodge housing costs
Qantas engine blast 'like fireworks', say passengers
Harvey Keitel to replace Steve Carell on "Office"?
Australian independent MP backs Gillard
Australia's Gillard inches closer to power
Apple TV takes aim at Web-connected living room
|
Coffins mis-labelled in Philippine hostage crisis
Apple and TV networks clash over 99 cent rentals
|
No Ordinary Family Having Contest To Find America's Most Extraordinary Family
U.S. delays Web traffic rules by seeking more comment
|
Country Artist Steve Richard Receives Two Final ICM Nominations
Lahore suicide blast death toll rises to 31
Nokia to close down data access service Ovi Files
|
Obama Denounces Israeli Settlers Senseless Slaughter
Apple unveils social network, new iPod and TV tool
Discovery Channel Hostage Taker Shot and Killed By Police; Hostages Released
ASCAP flips switch on free app
|
Slow funding hits Pakistan relief effort: UN
Sri Lankan fishermen hard hit by peace
Stocks Bounces Back As Factory Activity Index Rises
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Stand Off At Discovery Channel Headquarters
Key independent backs Australian PM to form government
Boris Karloff back in "Thriller: Complete Series"
iTunes To Feature Concert Listings, Social Networking
Three killed, flights halted as typhoon hits S.Korea
S.Korea bonds dip on firmer stocks, U.S. data
Dwayne Johnson to star in "Center of Earth" sequel
Seoul shares open up; techs rise
In the heart of a Somali pirates' lair
S.Korea seen intervening in NDF trade -dealers
"Sandman" comic book being adapted as a TV show
IMF tells Seoul not to meddle in monetary policy
Beirut's beautiful people splash out for Ramadan
IMF sees strong S.Korea growth, urges measured exit
Harvey Keitel to replace Steve Carell on "Office"?
Toronto park bans kite flying
US cracks down on Chinese honey smuggling ring
U.S. adds Pakistan Taliban to terror list
Justin Long reclaims his acting mojo in Distance
|
Harvey Keitel to replace Steve Carell on Office?
|
Dwayne Johnson to star in Center of Earth sequel
|
Sandman comic book being adapted as a TV show
|
Boris Karloff back in Thriller: Complete Series
|
Kelsey Grammer's ex among new Housewives cast
|
Ballet thriller Black Swan so bad it's good
|
Hoops drama Winning Season completely predictable
|
NATO air strike kills 10 civilians: Afghan president
Two US soldiers killed in Afghanistan
S.Africa state workers reject offer, take to streets
|
Afghan leader condemns air strike as Gates arrives
|
Iran hardliners attack opposition leader's home: website
UK foreign secretary's aide quits over gay rumors
|
French government vows to face down pension strike
|
Apple TV a first step for more ambitious plans?
ECB holds rate as investors await bank measures
Gameworld: Tween players impacting online game development
Putin says no grain exports before 2011 harvest
|
Gates in Afghanistan to meet with Karzai, Petraeus
China landslides kill eight, 40 missing
Nations meet on climate cash, U.N. sees long haul
|
Hurricane Earl closes in on US East Coast
Baidu to focus mobile Internet investment on search
eBay Disallowing Third Party Checkout Systems In 2011
2 American troops killed in Afghan attacks
Flood-hit Pakistanis and Afghans may cross to Iran: UNHCR
|
Pakistan cricketers claim innocence in betting scam
Top Maryland Senator Indicted For Corruption
Driven by Germany, Europe posts 1% growth
Bumper-to-bumper as epic China traffic jam returns
VA Doctors See Link Between PTSD And Dementia
1 American servicemember killed in Afghan attack
Pakistan gets IMF relief, tightens security
Earl's Approach Puts NC Outer Banks Under Forced Evacuations
Explosions Ignite Massive Blaze At Philadelphia Welding Company
Pakistan cricketers in betting probe dropped
U.S. Announces $10 Million In Rewards For Pakistani Taliban Leaders
New York Cheese Maker Expands Recall
Japan's Ozawa pledges bold fix for economy if PM
Study Disputes Marijuana 'Gateway Drug' Theory
Two Indonesia police on trial for 'Qaeda' arms sales
Stalled funding hits Pakistan aid effort: UN
Apple TV a first step for more ambitious plans?
|
US defence chief Gates on surprise Afghan visit
AOL renews Google search agreement
|
Gameworld: Tween players impacting online game development
|
Dead suspect may be linked to 4 slayings in Calif.
U.S. delays Web traffic rules by seeking more comment
|
Time Warner struggling to find new studio boss
John Walker Lindh seeks Ind. prison prayer ruling
Binoche baffled by 'violence' of Depardieu criticism
US manufacturing sends Asian markets higher
Jewish filmmaker Schnabel tells Palestinian story
Samsung takes on Apple with iPad rival
Japan to sentence Greenpeace anti-whaling activists
Baidu to focus mobile Internet investment on search
|
Bids 'rolling in' for Carrefour's SE Asian stores
WRAPUP 5-Pakistan gets IMF relief, tightens security
Walkman outsells iPod in Japan for first time
Pakistani stocks end up; rupee firms; o/n rates down
Pakistan's forex reserves rise to $16.12 bln
Strong yen boosts Japan travel demand: executive
South Korea's Shinhan Bank seek former chief probe
Seoul shares gain 0.6 pct on techs, retailers
Rapper T.I. arrested for drug possession in LA
|
A Minute With: director Lee Daniels on Broadway
|
Time Warner Cable, Disney yet to reach deal
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights