JERUSALEM, Aug. 18 (CWNews.com) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has indicated that he is willing to allow the creation of an independent Palestinian state, provided that Palestinian leaders end their conflict with the state of Israel.
Barak made his remarks on August 17, as negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian diplomats resumed, in an undisclosed location, after a three-week layoff. American negotiator Dennis Ross arrived in Israel on the same day, prepared to help with the peace talks.
The formation of an autonomous Palestinian state remains a contentious issue among Israeli political leaders, and Barak has been roundly criticized for yielding too much ground to his Palestinian counterparts in the most recent negotiations. But the Israeli leader said that he would continue to support plans for Palestinian state, with the understanding that "a condition for that is ending the conflict with Israel."
The Palestinian Liberation Organization has been formally committed, since its inception, to the elimination of the Israeli state. Despite substantial progress in the peace talks, Palestinian leaders have never fully backed away from their posture of hostility toward Israel.
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