Israeli and Palestinian officials held private London talks last year
Off-the-radar talks talks held between Israel and Palestinian Authority, hosted by Chatham House and BICOM in 2016
Israeli and Palestinian officials held off-the-radar talks in London last year which facilitators said “broke new ground” in an attempt to restart peace negotiations.
The private meeting, involving government representatives, academics and security figures from both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, was hosted by two London-based think-tanks, Chatham House and BICOM.
Those involved said there was widespread agreement that bilateral negotiations now represented a “tired” old model, and there was a willingness to work towards a “hybrid model,” perhaps involving Arab states.
“These talks were constructive and serious,” said BICOM chief executive James Sorene. “We broke new ground with some clear proposals for future negotiations and rare points of agreement.”
Bilateral negotiations have been pursued since the Oslo Accords in 1995, but he said “both agreed that a successful process relies on a secret bilateral back channel with strong third party involvement at the right time, including Arab countries”.
The idea of a regional framework has gained credence in recent years, with many observers seeing the diplomatic and economic opportunities offered by the Arab world as crucial to allowing Israeli politicians to key concessions.
“Independent of any potential Western involvement – which may be limited – the role of regional actors matters hugely,” read a subsequent BICOM briefing note.
“While the Palestinians need regional diplomatic cover to make the two-state deal, Israelis need regional involvement in resolving the core issues as well as regional buy-in and cooperation to take the security risks involved in territorial compromise.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
