Settlement a ticking bomb

Mekhemer Abu Se'da, a political science teacher at the Gaza- based al-Azhar University, told Xinhua that the issue of settlement "would remain to be the ticking bomb" during the negotiations "and would obstruct the possibilities of reaching an agreement."

"The issue of settlement will be the most decisive file during the direct talks, which will decide the fate of the talks and the Israeli desire to deal with the Palestinian demands, in addition to the level of the international pressure, mainly American pressure on the two sides to reach a deal," said Abu Se'da.

Meanwhile, Nabli Shaath, member of Fatah party's central committee and member of the negotiations team, said the new round of talks will include the serious tackling of the details of the permanent status issues "after the first round of talks was only a protocol meeting."

"There is a wide gap in the positions of the two sides mainly in the issues that have priority in the talks beside the most complicated issue which is the Israeli settlement construction in the Palestinian territories," said Shaath, adding "without extending the moratorium, everything we started would end."

Resolving issue of borders is essential

Palestinian observers and political experts and even Israeli ones say that the agreement of drawing the borders "would enable the two sides to reach an agreement in many sticking points and issues."

Hanna Amira, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official, told Xinhua that agreeing on the issue of the borders " is not easy because it has so many complications," adding "the borders issue will ease the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories back to 1967 borders."

However, Erekat said that any new construction of settlement " would endanger any understanding in the issue of borders and would also endanger the entire direct negotiations and bring it to a total collapse." He rejected the Israeli proposal to construct in big settlement and stop in small ones.

Resolving the issue of borders would also need to resolve other permanent status issues such as settlement, Jerusalem, water and refugees as well as ending the restrictions imposed on the Palestinians, mainly the issue of constructing homes in areas C which is under the full Israeli security control.

Khalil Shain, the West Bank-based political analyst, told Xinhua that the issue of borders is an Israeli priority, adding that the Israeli security arrangements are linked to the Israeli desire to keep its control of the Jordan Valley in eastern West Bank and make the separation wall the borders of the Palestinian state.

"The absence of the international reference, where the Palestinians insisted to have, will make its mission during the talks very difficult because Israel will keep its demands and then the file would turn into how to divide the West Bank and impose what Israel wants," said Shahin.