European, Arab diplomats try to revive Mideast peace efforts

Leading European and Arab world diplomats announce potential “small steps” toward reviving Mideast peace efforts after upcoming Israeli and Palestinian elections.

The officials — from the UN, EU, Egypt, Jordan, Germany and France — do not release any specific details, however. And the meeting comes amid new tensions between Israel and Arab countries around Jerusalem.

There have not been any serious Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in over a decade and it is unclear what the diplomats can do concretely to create conditions to bring the two sides closer together.

“We are going to initiate meetings with both parties within a timeframe built around the electoral calendar to identify, with them, the steps they are in a position to take to kickstart mutual trust,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says. He mentions possible health and economic measures, without elaborating.

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