Israeli and Palestinian officials embarked Monday on their most serious peace talks in seven years, but the direction of negotiations has already shaken the stability of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's coalition government.
From left to right, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before their meeting at Olmert's office in Jerusalem last week.
(Moshe Milner/Associated Press) The talks will include the issues of sovereignty over Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees and the final borders of a Palestinian state.
It took nearly seven weeks to start so-called final status talks after a series of meetings between Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as a visit from U.S. President George W. Bush to Israel and the West Bank in what Bush described as a "significant nudge" to get both sides going on the core issues.
During a U.S.-sponsored Mideast summit in Annapolis, Md., in November, Olmert and Abbas pledged to work toward reaching a peace agreement by the end of 2008.
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(Moshe Milner/Associated Press)
It took nearly seven weeks to start so-called final status talks after a series of meetings between Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as a visit from U.S. President George W. Bush to Israel and the West Bank in what Bush described as a "significant nudge" to get both sides going on the core issues.
During a U.S.-sponsored Mideast summit in Annapolis, Md., in November, Olmert and Abbas pledged to work toward reaching a peace agreement by the end of 2008.
Full story
Are you at all optimistic that this round of peace talks will be successful?
More...