Israel-Palestine: Peres Says Settlements Halt When Peace Talks Start

On Sunday, Israeli President Shimon Peres met with his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak in Cairo. Peres stated that Israel was ready to stop settlement construction in the West Bank as soon as negotiations with Palestinians started:

The minute we shall start to negotiate there won't be new settlements, there won't be confiscation of land. Unfortunately, it's a marginal issue; it is some building of houses that became a central issue for the wrong reasons. My answer is even this issue can be settled by negotiations and agreement.

Asked about Peres's words regarding settlements, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that he was unaware of any new peace initiative, as he appointed the former ambassador to the United Nations, Yitzhak Levanon, as Israel's new envoy to Cairo.

Lieberman may be trying to ameliorate his personal image in Cairo through a new accommodation but Peres's dovish statement is still far from satisfying the people of the region. There was no clarification whether his promise would include a full halt of construction, given Israel's standard condition of "natural growth". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Peres's words so far yet he also emphasized that Jerusalem and "natural growth" would not be included in any deal with the Palestinians.

Middle East Inside Line: Israel's Government Splits over Relations with Turkey?

Middle East Analysis: A Restoration of Relations between Turkey and Israel?

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It appears that a significant split is opening within the Israeli Government.

On Sunday, Israel's Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer departed with 20 businesspeople for a three-day visit to Turkey. Before his departure, he signalled that Ankara could return to a position as mediator of Israel's conflict: "As a regional power and Muslim democracy, Turkey has the ability to bridge the gaps between us and our neighbors and bring about normalization and co-existence in the region."

However, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman harshly opposed any plan bringing Ankara back to the table. Lieberman said, "I don't think that Turkey's position as a mediator between Israel and Syria can be restored in light of [the Turkish leadership's] slurs against Israel and its statements about preferring a Sudanese murderer to Israel's prime minister."

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On Sunday, Israel's Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer --- the only Cabinet member to attend  Turkey’s Republic Day reception --- is flying to Ankara to secure an $183 million commercial deal. Before his departure, he said: "Turkey has a very special place in my heart and special relationship with Israel. As a democratic Muslim country, Turkey has the ability to bridge the gaps between us and our neighbors and help promote normalization and coexistence in the region."

Meanwhile, Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul issued an ultimatum to Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Elbit Systems to fulfill the long-delayed supply of 10 unmanned aerial vehicles to the Turkish military within the next 50 days. He warned, "If this letter does not bear fruit either, the tender may be canceled. But there is no cancellation at the moment."

So the immediate deal is commercial links and an easing of Israel's military restrictions on Turkey. However, Ben-Eliezer may have another issue on the agenda.  Is Israel prepared to propose Turkey's mediation between Damascus and Tel Aviv in return for a normalization of relationsrestoring the position from before the Gaza War? Ben-Eliezer said, "I hope my economic and political talks will make it possible to get the important relations between Israel and its Turkish strategic partner back on track. Turkey has special ties with Israel, and as a regional and democratic-Muslim power."
And if so, is this the end of French adventurism in the Middle East or merely a tactical manoeuvre to decrease the tension between Ankara and Tel Aviv? Given that talks between Syria and Israel have been stuck due to the "no pre-condition" pre-condition and given that Turkey has been following a "zero-problem" policy with its neighbours, how sustainable is Ankara's "honesty" towards Tel Aviv?

Middle East Inside Line: An Israeli Truce with Hamas?

Palestine: Abbas Claims Secret Israeli Talks with Hamas

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Hamas declared on Saturday that all groups in Gaza have reached consensus to halt rocket attacks upon Israel.

"We have agreed with the factions that nobody carries out any action involving rockets for now," said Hamas' interior minister Fathi Hammad. He stated that the aims of the agreement were to avoid another Israeli military operation and to enable people to rebuild after January's Israeli invasion.

Haaretz's Amos Harel writes that there is an implicit truce between Israel and Hamas, as the latter are aware that rockets have not caused severe damage to the "enemy" and the Israeli offensive broke the power of Hamas. The Palestinian Authority is claiming secret meetings leading to a truce between Hamas and Israel; the Gazan group denies the accusation.

Harel argues that the real tension for Israel is now in the north, as Hezbollah which has accumulated a tremendous arsenal since the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006. It was reported on Saturday thatthe Lebanese army opened fire on an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle, and the Lebanese military chief said he would heighten border security.

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In an interview with the Arabic service of the BBC in Arabic, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of conducting secret talks with Hamas, allegedly on the issue of a Palestinian state with temporary borders. Abbas also repeated that Jerusalem wasn't truly interested in peace and added that "Washington isn't pushing Israel enough to advance the peace process".

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum's responsded, "The things that Abu Mazen [Abbas] is talking about never happened. We don't negotiate with the enemy." Barhoum accused Abbas of "putting his personal political failure on Hamas."

Meanwhile, Fox News reports that Israeli officials have come close to a deal with Hamas on the swap of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit and Palestinian detainees. While Israeli officials have not responded to 70 new names submitted by Hamas, in addition to the release of 380 prisoners that has already been agreed, sources claim that a settlement is close.