Palestinian 'all or nothing' strategy paralyzing peace talks, Israeli officials warn

[azurnoir]

The Palestinians' "all or nothing" strategy of insisting on a total freeze on West Bank settlement construction risks paralyzing Middle East peace talks in their infancy, officials close to the heart of negotiations warned Tuesday.

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas travel to Egypt for a second round of negotiations, senior officials inside Netanyahu's office said they expected the Palestinians to avoid extreme responses that could derail the U.S.-sponsored peace process.

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. As well as the row over settlements, early talks have been marred by disputes over format and as she accompanies the leaders to the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's main aim will be to save negotiations from an early death.

"For me, this is a simple choice: no negotiations, no security, no state," Clinton said en route to the talks.

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"The aim of this trip and the meeting with Abu Mazen is to find a way to continue the talks, not to blow them out of the water," the Israeli official said. "If we can't reach agreement on a small issue like the settlements, what are our chances of striking a deal over borders and refugees?"

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinian-all-or-nothing-strategy-paralyzing-peace-talks-israeli-officials-warn-1.313736