BICOM

Quartet Middle East Envoy Tony Blair is set to meet with representatives of the four components of the Quartet (the US, UN, EU and Russia) in Israel today, ahead of scheduled meetings between the representatives and Israeli and Palestinian officials. There is little apparent optimism, however, that the latest round of meetings will result in an end to the stalemate preventing Israeli-Palestinian direct negotiations. One western diplomat was quoted by Ynetnews as saying ‘I believe in miracles,’ when asked whether he expected an imminent breakthrough.

Palestinian Authority officials made clear that they expected a complete moratorium on construction projects in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as a precondition for a return to negotiations. In addition, Haaretz reports this morning that the Palestinian Authority is also set to demand that the Quartet pressure Israel to release prisoners in fulfilment of a pledge made by former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Among the prisoners The PA wants released are Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat, both members of the Fatah leadership. Israeli officials, meanwhile, have said that Prime Minister Netanyahu is willing to re-commence talks without preconditions. Senior Israeli ministers do not, however, support additional gestures to the PA.

In related news this morning, Maariv reports that the US administration has proposed a partial, unofficial, unannounced freeze on building in settlements by Israel, as a means to help renew negotiations. According to the Maariv report, if Israel breaches the agreement the US has given assurances to the Palestinian Authority that the matter would be addressed in the UN Security Council and that some business deals would be cancelled. Similar reports surfaced last week in Haaretz.