The long-awaited "proximity talks" between Israel and the Palestinians have started, but if the American State Department had not publicly announced them, few people would have noticed. The American envoy, George Mitchell, has already been and gone after a first round but is expected back soon for another. In format, the new talks will be no different from the shuttling between Jerusalem and Ra-mallah, the Palestinians' headquarters on the West Bank, that the indefatigable Mr Mitchell has performed for more than a year, without much to show for it.
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