Israeli, Palestinian leaders face critics of talks

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned Friday from the resumption of Mideast negotiations in Washington to confront internal opposition to his peace moves, just as his Palestinian counterpart faced harsh criticism for agreeing to the talks at all.

Analysts on both sides questioned the ability and desire of their leaders to negotiate a peace accord. And the militant Islamic Hamas group, from its stronghold in Gaza, rejected the talks as illegitimate.

Netanyahu arrived back home at midday Friday. He did not speak to reporters on his plane or at the airport.

In Washington, the Israeli prime minister talked of creating a Palestinian state, a phrase he uttered for the first time just last year after strident opposition to the concept for two decades, and called for "mutual and painful concessions from both sides."

Most Israeli analysts admitted to not knowing what was really on Netanyahu's mind. Writing from Washington, veteran Yediot Ahronot columnist Nahum Barnea was uncharacteristically ambivalent.

"If this was just for show, Netanyahu played it well," Barnea wrote. "But perhaps this was not only a show. Not this time."

Netanyahu's Likud Party has been among the strongest backers of Israel keeping much or all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem and expanding Jewish settlements on land the Palestinians want for a future state. Netanyahu's coalition government is a patchwork of Likud, the moderate Labor, the hawkish secular Yisrael Beitenu and ultra-Orthodox Jewish Shas parties.

Concessions of the type Netanyahu indicated, like giving up parts of the West Bank, while not sufficient for the Palestinians, would likely bring down his government or force him to replace his hawkish partners with moderates.

Gilad Erdan, a Likud Cabinet minister, said Netanyahu would forge a middle path through the political obstacles. He told Israel Radio that Netanyahu is committed to keeping as much of the West Bank as possible while finding a solution for living with the Palestinians.

"But the prime minister, unlike previous leaders, will not sign fictitious agreements that instead of bringing peace, brought terrorism and led to thousands of rockets being fired at us," Erdan added. Those comments reflected his party's criticism of interim peace accords with the Palestinians and Israel's unilateral pullout from Gaza in 2005.

Palestinians in Gaza aimed a rocket at Israel overnight, the military said, but it fell short.

Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to pull out of the talks if Netanyahu does not extend a partial West Bank settlement construction freeze set to expire at the end of the month.