A cool optimism for Mideast peace

Two of those terms — “two-state solution” and “framework” — are floating yet again.

“They reiterated their common goal of two states for two peoples,” Mitchell said in a briefing after the first round of talks at the State Department on Thursday. “The parties agreed that a logical next step would be to begin working on achieving a framework agreement for permanent status.”

The latest negotiations are in grave danger, however. Both sides agreed to a second round of talks Sept. 14-15 with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mitchell present. But just a few days later, Israel's limited ban on building settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem is set to expire.

Abbas has said he would walk away from the talks if Netanyahu does not extend the moratorium. The Israeli leader, even should he want to continue the ban, is under heavy pressure inside his conservative Likud Party to free settlers to start building again.

Such construction is a deal-breaker, Abbas has declared, because it is taking away land the Palestinians envision for their state.

As a practical matter, all the issues confronting Netanyahu and Abbas have been thoroughly aired many times in many negotiations — all of which failed, sometimes with an agreement tantalizingly close.

Yet the differences this time, even though the last talks took place less than two years ago, offer glimmers of hope — a cool optimism that remains largely dependent on the risks Obama, Netanyahu and Abbas are willing to take.

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