2010–2011 Israeli–Palestinian peace talks
[2] Direct talks broke down in late September 2010 when an Israeli partial moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank expired and Netanyahu refused to extend the freeze unless the Palestinian Authority recognized Israel as a Jewish State, while the Palestinian leadership refused to continue negotiating unless Israel extended the moratorium.
In addition, during the speech Obama added that "The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements" as it "undermines efforts to achieve peace.
[15] On 23 August 2009, Netanyahu announced in his weekly cabinet meeting that negotiations with the Palestinians will begin in September 2009 and will be officially launched on his visit to New York, after he had accepted an invitation from President Barack Obama for a "Triple Summit" there.
[18] On the same day, a spokesman for PA President Mahmoud Abbas said there would be no negotiations so long as Israel continued West Bank settlement construction.
[26] A partial freeze on construction in East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed in 1980, and regards as its sovereign territory, was imposed under the observation of U.S. consular officials, though not acknowledged by the Israeli government.
[27][28] On 19 July, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu froze a major construction project in Pisgat Ze'ev as a "diplomatic gesture" to the United States.
Previously, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad had written to the organization, urging it to suspend Israel's application, and before the vote, called numerous OECD heads of state to lobby against Israeli membership.
Palestinian official Mustafa Barghouti said that the attack would lead to the international boycott growing in strength, and called Israel "the most despicable state in the world".
[38] A renewed effort to negotiate peace was initiated by the Obama administration by getting the parties involved to agree to direct talks for the first time in a long while.
[39][40] The aim of the talks was to forge the framework of a final agreement within one year on a two-state solution, although general expectations of a success were fairly low.
"[48] In the view of the Palestinian Authority leadership, Israeli construction of settlements constitutes Israel's imposition of "facts on the ground" in the West Bank, and is a violation of international law.
[56] Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli Foreign Minister and leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, rebuffed claims that the renewal of West Bank settlement construction was a provocative move meant to torpedo the peace talks.
Sha'ath said the Palestinians accept such a limited extension provided the two sides can reach an agreement on the borders between Israel and a future Palestine in those two months.
[73] After a meeting in Libya on 8 October 2010, the Arab League leaders announce their support for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's decision to stop peace talks with Israel over the expiration of the 10 month Israeli moratorium on construction in the West Bank.
[76] On 11 October 2010, during a speech at the opening of the third session of the 18th Knesset, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a settlement freeze if the Palestinian Authority would declare its recognition of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.
Speaking on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, chief negotiator Saeb Erekat stated on October 11 that the PA "forcefully reject all these Israeli games.
The centerpiece of the deal was a military aid package worth $3 billion, including delivery of 20 additional F-35s, various missile and layered defense systems, and an explicit acceptance of the legitimacy of existing security needs and a commitment not to redefine them.
[41] Several Latin American countries recognized the State of Palestine, including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Uruguay.
[91] In January 2011, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman proposed an interim peace deal, in which a Palestinian state would be established initially on 50% of the West Bank, with final borders to be negotiated at a later date.
[92] On January 16, 2011, Israel presented to accept a plan to build some 1400 more homes in Gilo, a neighborhood in east Jerusalem, bringing condemnation from the Palestinians and Israeli left.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat called the Israeli proposal "just a trick and procrastination", stating that "what Netanyahu should do, if he wants to build confidence, is immediately stop settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and recognize a Palestinian state on the territories occupied in 1967", called on Western nations to "stop dealing with Israel as if it is above the law", and "reach a historic decision that will recognize a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital", and urged the Quartet to force Israel to halt settlement construction "including in Jerusalem".
[96] On 12 February 2011, Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat announced his resignation over the Palestine Papers scandal, which purportedly showed that he had agreed to wide-ranging concessions to Israel on the issues of Jerusalem, refugees, borders, and Israeli security, while still insisting that the documents were false.
Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice indicated in her remarks that the purpose of the U.S. veto was to demonstrate the Obama administration's intention that "the only way to reach that common goal [of peace] is through direct negotiations.
On March 3, the Palestinians rejected the idea, with official Saleh Ra'fat saying that the PLO's position is unchangeable, and President Abbas calling it "unacceptable".
[101][102] Following the impasse in negotiations, the Palestinian Authority announced that unless a deal was reached by September 2011, it would unilaterally declare independence, seek recognition by the United Nations, and apply for membership in the organization.
[103] The Palestinian Authority subsequently refused to reenter negotiations or reconsider its plans for a declaration of statehood until Israel froze all settlement construction and agreed to a solution based on the 1967 borders.
PLO official Yasser Abed Rabbo claimed that the new Palestinian state would not tolerate an Israeli military and civilian presence on its land, and would seek UN intervention.
[106] A few days later, US Republican congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced plans to introduce legislation that would withhold US contributions to any UN entity that recognizes a Palestinian state or upgrades the status of the PLO observer mission.
Israeli officials disclosed that the Quartet was unable to reach a statement following the Palestinians' refusal to accept clauses in the planned statement calling on the Palestinian Authority to withdraw its plans for a unilateral declaration of independence in September, to halt all demands from Israel once a two-state solution was reached, end incitement against Israel, or recognize it as a Jewish state.
[111] On 29 October 2010, tens of thousands of Islamic Jihad supporters participated in a demonstration in Gaza City's Kuteiba Square against the negotiations and making peace with Israel.
