Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 02/2010

Prospects for the Resumption of Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks

David Makovsky

January 2010

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Abstract

U.S. Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell will return to the region next week in a bid to restart talks that have been stalled since the beginning of the Obama administration. In a television interview earlier this month, Mitchell declared that he would like to complete peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians within two years, if not sooner. Senior U.S. officials, including President Obama, have called for an unconditional return to the negotiating table.