Arab League Gives US One Month to Save Peace Process

Deal Gives US Chance to Secure Settlement Freeze

In a move that will give the Obama Administration a chance to sell Israel’s government on a new 60 day settlement freeze, the Arab League has agreed to delay its call to end the peace process over settlement construction for another month.

The Palestinian Authority had previously given the US a week to come up with a deal to continue the talks, but with a deal close Arab League officials decided to encourage the extension of that deadline. Israel’s cabinet is expected to vote soon on the extension of the freeze, which expired in late September.

The extension is hugely controversial in Israel, and the government had previously ruled out even considering it, though now that the US is said to be offering massive concessions it has gained some traction. The Palestinian Authority has insisted it won’t consider direct negotiations while the construction expansion continues.

Some Arab League countries had been said to have been in favor of ending the direct talks entirely, and were calling for a return to the indirect talks of the past few months. The indirect talks had accomplished virtually nothing, but were eventually ratcheted up into direct talks.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.