Palestinians come back to table for Mideast talks

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Formal Palestinian approval of indirect talks with Israel cleared the way yesterday for President Barack Obama's first sustained on-the-ground attempt to bring peace to the Middle East.

White House envoy George Mitchell will try in four months of shuttle diplomacy to rebuild trust between Israeli and Palestinian leaders and narrow some of their vast differences, in hopes of nudging them toward direct negotiations. However, expectations are low and obstacles seem insurmountable.

The Israelis and Palestinians remain far apart on what a Palestinian state should look like. Negotiations are being overshadowed by Israel's refusal to halt settlement construction on war-won land, and the rule of the Islamic militant Hamas in the Gaza Strip, one of the territories that would one day be part of a Palestinian state.

The indirect talks were devised as a compromise, but the arrangement was thrown into doubt in March when Israel announced new plans to build 1,600 homes for Jews in east Jerusalem. The decision drew sharp criticism from the United States and led to the worst spat between the allies in years.

The settlement announcement also enraged Palestinians, prompting them to back out of negotiations just as talks were to start. Since then, the United States has worked to coax the Palestinians back to the table.

Yesterday, the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement voted to give indirect talks a try.

As part of the negotiations, Mitchell is to move back and forth between Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem and Abbas' headquarters in Ramallah. Since returning to the region Wednesday, Mitchell has already met twice with both Abbas and Netanyahu, and was to hold more talks in Ramallah on Sunday.