World diplomats urge resumption of Mideast talks

By ROBERT BURNS

MOSCOW

International diplomats on Friday called on Israel and the Palestinians to return to peace negotiations with the goal of creating an independent Palestinian state within two years. They reiterated their condemnation of Israel's latest move to add Jewish housing in disputed east Jerusalem but did not escalate criticism of the Jewish state.

The so-called Quartet group of Mideast negotiators met in the Russian capital to set the stage for peace talks in which the United States would be a go-between. Those indirect talks, also called proximity talks, would be the first under the Democratic Obama administration and the hawkish Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

At a news conference after the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke approvingly of indications Netanyahu is ready to address her country's concerns.

"What I heard from the prime minister in response to the requests we made was useful and productive," she said, "and we are continuing our discussions with him and his government."

Joining Clinton at the Moscow meeting were U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, and the Quartet's special representative, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Lavrov told a joint news conference that the Israelis and Palestinians should move first to indirect talks, followed by face-to-face negotiations. The idea is that each side would convey messages through a U.S. envoy, who would shuttle between. Those indirect talks were to have started last week but were stalled by reaction to Israel's announcement of new housing in east Jerusalem.

Clinton said she expects to see Netanyahu in Washington next week.

"We are all committed to the launching of proximity talks between the Israelis and Palestinians," Clinton told reporters.

A spokesman for Netanyahu had no comment.

George Mitchell, the U.S. Mideast peace envoy, is to meet in coming days with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in hopes of getting the process restarted. Mitchell attended Friday's talks.

The fragile situation is Gaza was one of the key focuses of the Quartet session. The diplomats expressed concern about the humanitarian situation there.

The Israeli air force responded early Friday to a rocket attack by Gaza militants the day before by striking six targets in southern Gaza. The Israeli military identified the targets as three weapons-smuggling tunnels; two other tunnels that militants were digging to infiltrate into Israel; and a weapons workshop. No injuries were reported.

The rocket and the Israeli retaliation raised the specter of further conflagration at a time of renewed international focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In a nod to Israeli security concerns, the group condemned the rocket attack.

The Quartet group of peacemakers -- the U.S., Russia, the United Nations and the European Union -- is meant to represent an international consensus on the importance of pressing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and a commitment to establishing a Palestinian state as part of that process.

Of the four members, the United States customarily has been the least inclined to criticize Israel, although the Obama administration recently has gone so far as to condemn Israeli plans to build hundreds more homes for Jews in disputed east Jerusalem.

After Israel's announcement last week of the new Jewish housing, the Quartet issued a statement of condemnation but did not formally meet to discuss the matter. "Unilateral actions taken by either party cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations and will not be recognized by the international community," it said in the March 12 statement.

The Quartet has consistently called for Israel to restrain settlement activity.

In a formal statement after its last meeting, in September 2009, the Quartet urged Israel to freeze all settlement activity and to "refrain from provocative actions" in east Jerusalem. It also called on the Palestinian Authority to continue to make efforts to improve law and order, to fight violent extremism and to end incitement.