Let me at the outset express my appreciation that US Secretary of State John Kerry is seeking a breakthrough in the fruitless “peace process” that has been at a standstill for more than two decades. Before the resumption of preliminary talks that start today, July 30, between Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, I would like to offer a few preliminary remarks that might, if taken seriously by the Palestinians, Israel and Kerry, lead to a breakthrough.
First, negotiations as a process should follow an agreement between the parties on the outcome. In other words, negotiation is not and should not be considered a fishing trip to discover the outcome.
