TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Israel and Palestine plan to resume peace negotiations this week for the first time in nearly three years after an intense effort made by US Secretary of State John Kerry to bring them back to the table.
The talks resumed on Monday, July 29, in Washington with Israel's Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, and her Palestinian counterpart, Saeb Erakat, sitting side by side in the face of their mediator John Kerry. The former senator urged Israelis and Palestinians to embrace "reasonable, principled compromise." He also put his reputation on the line as he attempts to unite the two conflicting countries on one table. It took months of coaxing and prodding before he finally succeeded in resuming these peace negotiations.
Al Jazeera reported that US President Barack Obama welcomed the start of the talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but urged both sides to approach them with honesty.
"The most difficult part of these negotiations lays ahead, and I am hopeful that both the Israelis and Palestinians will approach these talks in good faith," Obama said on Monday, July 29.
During the press conference, Livni told the Haaretz newspaper, "It is not going to be easy. It will be hard with ups and downs. We are not going to argue about the past but talk about the future. There is a new opportunity, and we can't afford to waste it."
REUTERS | AL JAZEERA | INDEPENDENT | EKO ARI
