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Signs of Seriousness In Israel-Palestine Peace Talks

Despite the pessimism of pundits, there are indications that US Secretary of State John Kerry might not be wasting his time.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (C)  shakes hands with Israeli President Shimon Peres (L) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the King Hussein Convention Centre, at the Dead Sea May 26, 2013.  REUTERS/Jim Young  (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY BUSINESS) - RTX101SC

The dinner with US Secretary of State John Kerry on July 29 will be the first face-to-face meetings between Israeli and Palestinian officials in more than three years. It is unclear what the agenda of the two days of meetings at the State Department will be, but it is clear that instead of the incremental process of the past, the talks will focus immediately on borders and security. The idea is that if these issues are settled, it will be easier to determine how to resolve the other final status issues — settlements, refugees and Jerusalem.

One of the unknown factors in these talks is the degree of seriousness each side is devoting to the peace process. A superficial review of public statements of the two sides' leaders and cabinet members as well as pundits indicates a predominantly pessimistic outlook. But is that the reality?

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