Mideast divide

Vice President Joe Biden has visited the Middle East this week to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

While he was there, Israel announced that it would build 1,600 housing units for Jews in East Jerusalem. That happens to be where Palestinians envision their future state's capital.

That was a blow to U.S. diplomacy. Palestinian leaders had asked Mr. Biden's assistance in halting the housing project.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the timing of the housing announcement was regrettable, and that the project probably would not go forward for several years. But he did not disagree with the plans.

To his credit, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas did not threaten to withdraw from planned Israeli-Palestinian talks — the first between the two parties in a year. The Palestinians want to talk about borders and security, the Israelis about the procedures of future negotiations, the New York Times reported. The talks may be imperiled, however.

Mr. Biden split his time between meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

While pledging the Obama administration's "ironclad commitment to Israeli security," he told Israelis and Palestinians that "the status quo is not sustainable."

Israel will need to cede some territory to Palestinians and the latter must stop inciting their population against Israel.

This has all been said before. But, the Times reported, Mr. Biden told Israel that Mr. Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad are the first Palestinian leaders with which Israel could broker a long-term peace.

That all seems very unlikely, however. There is no real movement toward peace.