Israel: U.S.-Led Peace Talks May Fail

Olmert Plays Down U.S.-Sponsored Talks With Palestinians; Says They May Take Place

(CBS/AP)  Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday played down expectations for an upcoming U.S.-sponsored peace summit, saying the gathering would not produce a binding peace agreement with the Palestinians and might not even take place.

Speaking to a group of Jewish fundraisers, Olmert said he is committed to making the conference a success and said he would meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday to review preparations. The summit is expected to take place later this year in Annapolis, Maryland.

"If all goes well, hopefully, we will meet in Annapolis," he said. "(But) Annapolis is not made to be the event for the declaration of peace."

Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams have been trying to draft a joint declaration outlining a future peace agreement ahead of the conference. The teams met Wednesday, but no agreements were announced.

The two sides have expressed vastly different sets of expectations for the summit.

The Palestinians are seeking an agreement addressing the core issues at the heart of the conflict with Israel: final borders, the status of disputed Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees. They also want a firm timeline for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Israel wants a more general document, saying it is premature to address many of these issues.

Olmert has repeatedly warned against expecting too much for the summit. If the gathering falls short of its goals, it could weaken his shaky coalition government and boost Israeli hardliners.

On the Palestinian side, Abbas could suffer in his rivalry with the Hamas militant group. Israel and the international community have been trying to rally behind Abbas since Hamas routed forces from Abbas' Fatah movement and violently seized control of the Gaza Strip in June.

With the sides struggling to bridge the gaps, the U.S. has not yet set a date for the summit or even formally announced who will attend.

Washington hopes that moderate Arab countries that do not have relations with Israel, such as Saudi Arabia, will attend. But Arab countries want guarantees of firm results before committing. Egypt and Jordan, the only Arab countries with peace agreements with Israel, have said the U.S. should consider delaying the summit to give the sides more time to work out their differences.

While Israel has been talking peace with Abbas, tensions in Gaza have been rising.

CBS News correspondent Robert Berger reporting from Jerusalem said Israel's defense minister Ehud Barak has approved limited electricity cuts in Gaza in response to Palestinian rocket attacks. Under the plan, Israel will cut electricity for increasing lengths of time each time a rocket is fired across the Gaza border. The "punishment" would begin with short cutoffs of 15 minutes, and increase in length if more rockets fall.

Israel hopes the sanctions will build pressure on militants to halt their near-daily rocket attacks on southern Israel. It remains unclear when the sanctions would go into effect.

Despite the Israeli threats, Palestinians fired two rockets into southern Israel Thursday morning, the military said. No damage or casualties were reported.

Israel provides more than half of Gaza's electricity, so any cutoff would add to the misery in the impoverished coastal area. However, the cuts would not result in a total blackout.

Members of the international community, including U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, have condemned the Israeli plan as unfair collective punishment. But with its military unable to stop the crude projectiles, Israel says it is running out of options to deal with the rocket fire. Barak has said a large ground offensive into Gaza - something Israel has tried to avoid - will likely be necessary at some point.

Israel's government last month declared Gaza a "hostile territory," clearing the way for Israel to impose the sanctions.

On Wednesday the Israeli military killed two members of a Palestinian rocket squad, Hamas security and hospital officials said. The militant Islamic Jihad said it fired rockets at Israel a few minutes before the Israeli attack. It said the two dead were 15 years old. Often teenagers go out to get launchers after rockets are fired.

The Israeli military said it hit militants after rocket fire from the area.

Early Thursday, Israeli soldiers killed two Hamas militants in a clash near the Gaza city of Khan Younis, Hamas officials and the military said. The army said the dead men were carrying an anti-tank missile launcher and assault rifles.

Also Thursday, the Israeli army said it opened fire at a group of militants planting explosives near the Gaza border with Israel. Islamic Jihad said two members were killed. Israel said it arrested one militant.

It was unclear what effect an Israeli cutoff of power would have on Gazans, who already suffer frequent electricity shortages. Many buildings have backup generators.

In the West Bank, Israeli activists blocked a major road west of Jerusalem, delaying traffic and scuffling with police, demanding the highway be opened for Palestinian use.

The road, linking Jerusalem with central Israel, dips into the West Bank for about 10 kilometers (six miles) along its route, but Palestinians are barred from using any part of it for fear they could launch attacks on Israelis. Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said three protesters were arrested.

[patriotic9]

OSAMA BEEN-FORGOTTEN was in AFGHANISTAN when Bush sent less then 10,000 troops there. Anybody who ever served in the Military knows how tough and tiring are Road Marches for healthy, young and physically and mentally strong soldiers. Bush''''s NON-SENSE policies helped SICK, OLD, KIDNEY PATIENT OSAMA BEEN-FORGOTTEN in climbing thousands of feet high Hindu Kush Mountains and escape into Pakistan without getting caught by our troops and pin pointed by our most sophisticated satellites.

Why was Bush more concerned about invading Iraq which had nothing to do with 9/11, then to capture OSAMA BEEN-FORGOTTEN who was responsible for 9/11?

Because BUSH is a CHRISTIAN. CHRISTIANITY is PSYCHOSIS and CHRISTIANS are PSYCHOTICS.

Only concern BUSH and his fellow CHRISTANS had, was to occupy the land between EUPHRATE in IRAQ and NILE in EGYPT and give that land to the so-called GOD-CHOSEN EUROPEAN INVADERS just like PALESTINE was given to them after WWII, in order to bring JESUS back to this world.

Only way of United States survival is to kick the PSYCHOSIS "CHRISTIANITY" out of POLITICS.

I have no problem if god made MARY pregnant with JESUS, I''''ll never allow god to come into US POLITICS, screw United States and make her pregnant with HATRED, TERRORISM and 9/11, for a NON-AMERICAN CAUSE, NON-AMERICAN GOD-CHOSEN PEOPLE and a NON-AMERICAN HOLY LAND.

[patriotic9]

OSAMA BEEN-FORGOTTEN was in AFGHANISTAN when Bush sent less then 10,000 troops there. Anybody who ever served in the Military knows how tough and tiring are Road Marches for healthy, young and physically and mentally strong soldiers. Bush''''s NON-SENSE policies helped SICK, OLD, KIDNEY PATIENT OSAMA BEEN-FORGOTTEN in climbing thousands of feet high Hindu Kush Mountains and escape into Pakistan without getting caught by our troops and pin pointed by our most sophisticated satellites.

Why was Bush more concerned about invading Iraq which had nothing to do with 9/11, then to capture OSAMA BEEN-FORGOTTEN who was responsible for 9/11?

Because BUSH is a CHRISTIAN. CHRISTIANITY is PSYCHOSIS and CHRISTIANS are PSYCHOTICS.

Only concern BUSH and his fellow CHRISTANS had, was to occupy the land between EUPHRATE in IRAQ and NILE in EGYPT and give that land to the so-called GOD-CHOSEN EUROPEAN INVADERS just like PALESTINE was given to them after WWII, in order to bring JESUS back to this world.

Only way of United States survival is to kick the PSYCHOSIS "CHRISTIANITY" out of POLITICS.

I have no problem if god made MARY pregnant with JESUS, I''''ll never allow god to come into US POLITICS, screw United States and make her pregnant with HATRED, TERRORISM and 9/11, for a NON-AMERICAN CAUSE, NON-AMERICAN GOD-CHOSEN PEOPLE and a NON-AMERICAN HOLY LAND.

[closethippy1]

no

[v_1618]

ISRAEL IS NOT A JEWISH STATE.. SO TAKE YOUR PEACE TALKS AND FREE PALESTINE ZIONIST... THE MOST DANGEROUS THREAT FOR JEWISH POPLE ARE IN FACT ISRAEL ....

[brianbwb-2009]

By the way, I am in Singapore, why aren''t the comments allowed to be shown here?

[brianbwb-2009]

"Israel: U.S.-Led Peace Talks May Fail"

Wrong, they are designed to fail.

And why not? The US has never been interested in peace in the Middle East, there is no profit in peace.

If the Palestinians declared and enacted a unilateral cease fire right now, CIA and Mossad agents would stage false flag attacks to frame the Palestinians in order to keep the conflict going.

Our taxpayers funds that go to the Israelis, is used it to bribe the politicians for more support. this cycle effectively reverse launders billions into the pockets of the elite in Israel and the US, so it will never stop, unless we, the people, stop it.

The innocent dead are, to these vampires, "acceptable casualties". All of the political discussion is nothing more than moot obfuscation

[grazinggoat]

CBS News: ''Israel wants a more general document, saying it is premature to address many of these issues. ''

Israeli governing class are the tards of the Middle-East. They belong to the slowmo family... They are caught under too much flexibility and too fast wil to sign peace, from Fatah''s president Abbas. So they tell people. Hoooo hooow! slow down please! This is too fast... just can''t follow up! HUh!

[closethippy1]

no

[j-whitman]

locked up ?

[lochlan-2009]

Is anyone else locked out of the posts on this page?