Israel, Palestinians to meet in DC in peace negotiations

August 21, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Plunging into the Mideast peacemaker’s role that has defeated so many U.S. leaders, President Barack Obama on Friday invited Israel and the Palestinians to try anew in face-to-face talks for a historic agreement to establish an independent Palestinian state and secure peace for Israel.

Negotiations shelved two years ago will resume Sept. 2 in Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said. Obama will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for dinner the night before.

The goal: a deal in a year’s time on the toughest issues that have sunk previous negotiations, including the borders of a new Palestinian state and the fate of disputed Jerusalem, claimed as a holy capital by both peoples.

“There have been difficulties in the past; there will be difficulties ahead,” Clinton said. “Without a doubt, we will hit more obstacles.”

Indeed, soon after Clinton’s announcement the militant Hamas movement that controls the Gaza Strip, which along with the West Bank is supposed to be part of an eventual Palestinian state, rejected the talks, saying they were based on empty promises.

Winning agreement to at least restart the direct talks makes good on an Obama campaign promise to confront the festering conflict early in his presidency instead of deferring the peace broker’s role as former President George W. Bush did.