March 9, 2010 -- New York -- AJC welcomed the announcement by Senator George Mitchell, the U.S. Special Middle East Envoy, that the Palestinian Authority has agreed to join the Israeli government in indirect talks – with U.S. facilitation – to advance regional peace.

“The return of the Palestinian Authority to the bargaining table – even within the framework of so-called proximity talks, rather than direct bilateral negotiations – opens the door to progress in achieving a two-state solution that yields a secure and vibrant Jewish state of Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state,” said AJC Executive Director David Harris.

“Israel has long extended its hand in peace – and has waited for the last 15 months for the Palestinians to drop their insistence on pre-conditions and resume dialogue. Although the course ahead is uncertain, Senator Mitchell has earned the gratitude of all who yearn for a better future for the Israeli and Palestinian people for his patient pursuit of a formula to resume negotiations.”

In the announcement, released as Vice President Biden arrived in Israel on the highest-level visit by the Obama Administration, Senator Mitchell expressed the hope that indirect Israeli-Palestinian talks “will lead to direct negotiations as soon as possible.” He said he was working out the “structure and scope” of the proximity talks with the two parties, but that both leaderships had accepted the launching of the talks.