Although American and European officials seem to be despairing of a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian situation, there's a new push for talks from an unusual source: the two sides themselves. With Palestinians set to push for a U.N. vote on a declaration of statehood in September, Israeli and Palestinian leaders have been telling foreign brokers they want to return to the negotiating table. Israel, though furious at American calls for a return to some variation of 1967 borders, wishes to prevent the vote, fearing that U.N. recognition of Palestine could further isolate the Jewish state and subject it to sanctions and boycotts. Still, thorny issues—including sovereign recognition and right of return—remain, and some Palestinian leaders say they’ll continue to press for a vote regardless of the state of discussions.
