Seeking peace: Bibi and Abbas begin historic talks

By Jeremy Last - Thursday 2nd September 2010


Foreign Secretary William Hague last night insisted that efforts to achieve Middle East peace must not be derailed by a fatal terror attack against four Israelis just hours before the start of historic talks in Washington today.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the Tuesday evening assault on Route 60, close to the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba.

Top stories

email this page to a friend print this page email the editor buy this content Bookmark and Share
Father of six Yitzchak Imes, 45, and his pregnant wife Talya, 45, had picked up a pair of hitchhikers when the assailants struck, murdering all four residents of the nearby Beit Chagai settlement. The hitchhikers were named as 37-year-old Kochava Even Chaim and 24-year-old Avishai Shindler.

The victims were all buried on Wednesday in emotional ceremonies held at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, Ashdod and Petah Tikva. Despite having heard about the attack during his flight to the US, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu remained steadfast in his commitment to attempt to make progress towards a peace settlement.

"Terror will not determine Israel's borders or the future of the settlements," he said. As Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the army "will exact a price from both the murderers and those who dispatched them", a government spokesman said the killings “proves again the need to stand firmly on Israel's stringent security demands, and there will be no compromise on them".

Netanyahu was due to attend a dinner with US President Barack Obama, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Tony Blair on Wednesday evening before face to face talks with Hillary Clinton as a mediator on Thursday.

Speaking on Netanyahu's arrival, the US Secretary of State was clear in her condemnation of the terror attack and her hopes for peace. "The forces of terror and destruction cannot be allowed to continue," she said before meeting Netanyahu. "It is one of the reasons why the prime minister is here today, to engage in direct negotiations with those Palestinians who themselves have rejected a path of violence in favor of a path of peace."

As Hamas supporters celebrated the deaths by firing guns into the air in Gaza City, Abbas himself condemned "all acts tahat target Palestinian and Israeli civilians". His Fatah government, which controls the West Bank, arrested 250 Hamas militants yesterday in connection with the killings.

Sending his "heartfelt condolences" to the family's of those who lost their lives, Foreign secretary William Hague added: "This cruel and inhuman attack must not be allowed to derail efforts to reach a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the region."

While the shooting attack cast a shadow over the build-up to talks, another issue which could threaten the progress of the historic discussions is settlement activity. Abbas claimed he would quit the talks unless the 10 month West Bank building freezewas extended beyond the planned September 26 end date.
And In a new twist, settler leaders claimed on Wednesday morning they would violate the freeze in response to the terror attack.

"The only response that will show our resolve against terror is to commit ourselves to building, and effective Wednesday evening we will bring this senseless freeze to an immediate end," the Yesha Council said in a statement.
On Tuesday, US State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said he hoped progress would be made during the negotiations, including on the settlement issue.

"We are engaged with the parties on all of the issues. They will be discussed today and in successive days. And we expect to see progress on all of the issues," he said.

Read the latest copy of The Jewish News Online by clicking here.

Bookmark and Share