Signs of Seriousness In Israel-Palestine Peace Talks

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?

Some would argue that the best way to gauge the seriousness of the parties is to focus on what the leaders are telling their own people. This barometer might not be a true measure for the simple reason that the parties have agreed to a certain level of secrecy about the talks. Both Israelis and Palestinians have promised their people that they will put any final agreement to a public referendum. In other words, don’t ask us for step by step details, wait for the results.

Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have taken steps to prepare their publics for the upcoming talks. Abbas met with 80 journalists and columnists for an off-the-record briefing. Before voting on the release of 104 Palestinian prisoners held since before the Oslo Accords, Netanyahu addressed the Israeli public in an open letter, telling them that “every now and then prime ministers need to take decisions that fly in the face of public opinion — for the good of the country.”