Hopes of resumption of peace efforts in the Middle East kindled by US President Barack Obama's address at Cairo, have come to a naught because of the intransigence of Israel on the issue of construction of new settlements.

The least that Israel could have done as confidence building measure was to stop the construction of new settlements in the West Bank. But it not only continues new constructions, it has been deliberately expanding the activity in east Al-Quds also. That is a sure reminder to the Palestinians about Israel's intentions concerning Al-Quds. It does not want to vacate eastern portion of the city with the aim of making the whole Al-Quds (or Jerusalem) as its capital.

With the Hamas' extremist stand, any talks for a resolution of the Palestinian issue on the basis of two-state solution could only be held with Palestinian Authority's president Mahmoud Abbas. Only after some success in the talks between the two sides a stage can be reached when Hamas could be persuaded to give up their rigid conditions. But with Israel's obstinacy and United States' condescending attitude towards Israel there can be no hope of an early resumption of the dialogue , what to speak of any meaningful progress.

Israel's attitude is the same as generally adopted by all aggressive powers- to keep on delaying the matter on one excuse or the other, to gain time and consolidate the illegal possession.

Israel has not stopped or even slowed the process of occupying more land and building new settlements during the time that has been spent, (or wasted) in trying to bring the two sides to the table.

The issue of Golan Heights is also being deliberately delayed by Israel.

As a first necessary condition for the resumption of the dialogue process, Israel should be persuaded by the United States to stop construction of new settlements in the areas occupied in the 1967 war. In Al-Quds there should be a total freeze supervised by a tripartite team of US, Palestine Authority and Israel.

This should be followed by a demarcation of the proposed Palestinian state so that the would be settlers themselves keep out of the area.

Simultaneously, Palestinians should be allowed to come back and start resettling in their areas pending the formal declaration of the establishment of a Palestinian state. If this is done then the Hamas could also be persuaded to give up their rigid stand and come to terms in a free Palestinian state.

The US is in the best position to play a role to compel Israel to come to terms with the Palestinians. The other alternative is continuation of the conflict with the ever present danger of war.

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