Israeli envoy to meet Palestinian president

[May 12, 2012]  JERUSALEM (AP) -- An Israeli envoy will submit a letter to the Palestinian president regarding the possibility of substantive peace talks, said officials from both sides Saturday. The modest exchange is the highest-level communication between the two sides in months.

Yitzhak Molcho, a representative of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will meet President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday evening in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinians' government.

Molcho will submit a written response to a note that Palestinian negotiators gave to Netanyahu last month that described their positions if talks were to resume, said a Palestinian official who spoke anonymously, citing the issue's sensitivity. An Israeli official confirmed the visit. He also spoke on condition of anonymity.

The communication by note demonstrates how thoroughly negotiations to carve out an independent Palestinian state have collapsed. Four months ago, preliminary meetings between Israeli and Palestinian officials in the Jordanian capital Amman also stalled.

The last substantive talks fell apart in 2010, in large part over construction in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

Palestinian officials say they cannot negotiate while Israel builds homes in territories they claim for their future state. They claim talks give the Israelis political cover to expand their presence there.

Israel says talks should resume without preconditions, and that all issues, including Jewish settlements, will be addressed.

[Associated Press; By DIAA HADID]

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