Al Jazeera English, September 14, 2010
A second round of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority are taking place under the auspices of Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Washington says it hopes the talks will lead to an agreement within a year.
When asked whether they think the talks will succeed, some Israelis respond with a cynical laugh, but most reply with an odd mix of apathy, exhaustion, and pessimism, colored by hope.
Ronen is a 32-year-old attorney who asked to be identified by a pseudonym rather than being associated with an Arab media outlet. Like many Israelis, he’s not following this round of talks closely because negotiations have failed in the past.
“Everyone is bringing up stupid conditions that make everything impossible,” he adds. “For example, Israelis [say] that they’re going to build up the settlements. But, once more, they ‘sacrifice,’” he says sarcastically, “because it won’t be as much construction as intended.”
Like some Middle East analysts, Ronen is concerned that the end of the settlement freeze, set to expire on September 26, will derail talks.
