UN, US, Russia and EU meet virtually on Israel, Palestinians

 The United Nations, United States, Russia and the European Union met virtually Tuesday to discuss relaunching their long-stalled effort to get Israel and the Palestinians to negotiate a two-state solution to their decades-old conflict.

A brief statement from the four Mideast mediators, known as the Quartet, said envoys discussed returning “to meaningful negotiations that will lead to a two-state solution, including tangible steps to advance freedom, security and prosperity for Palestinians and Israelis, which is important in its own right.”

 

There have been no substantive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians since 2014, and the two sides are fiercely divided over the core issues of the conflict.

 

The United Nations sent out the statement on the Quartet discussion after polls closed in Tuesday’s Israeli election. Exit polls indicated there was no clear winner, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fate uncertain and signaling continued political deadlock in Israel.

 

In late January, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there were “reasons to hope” for progress toward ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after years of inaction. He said the United Nations would explore all initiatives to facilitate “a true peace process” based on the two-state solution.

 

Clearly referring to the former U.S. administration, without naming then president Donald Trump, Guterres said “we were completely locked down in a situation in which there was no progress visible.”

 

The Quartet was established in 2002 and has been criticized for its failure to get either Israel or the Palestinian Authority to change their policies and negotiate an end to their conflict.