First time in 3 years: Israel, Palestine resume talks

Israelis and Palestinians resumed direct talks for the first time in three years on July 30 in Washington, DC, with the United States urging negotiators to make tough compromises to reach a peace deal. Israeli chief negotiator Tzipi Livni and her Palestinian counterpart Saeb Erakat sat side-by-side opposite top US diplomat John Kerry to share a traditional Muslim iftar meal. The new US secretary of state, who has staked much of his reputation on bringing both sides back to the talks, first met with the teams separately. As a first step, Israel said it would release 104 Palestinians imprisoned before the 1993 Oslo accords — some of whom are said to have been involved in attacks on Israelis.

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