Israelis, Palestinians to US next week for talks

JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli and a Palestinian official say preliminary peace talks agreed to after a shuttle mission by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry are to begin in Washington on Tuesday.

Israeli-Palestinian talks on the terms of a Palestinian state have been frozen for five years, and both sides have low expectations of the new U.S. peace push.

The two sides still disagree on the rules for actual negotiations, including the principles for drawing a border between them.

It’s unclear if those disputes can be resolved in Washington.

Israeli Cabinet Minister Silvan Shalom says “there is a good chance” the preliminary talks will start on Tuesday.

A Palestinian diplomat on Thursday confirmed the date, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with journalists.

Associated Press