Many analysts and activists are questioning the wisdom of the Palestinian leadership agreeing to preliminary talks in Washington, without having secured the coveted settlement freeze and the declaration by Israel that the 1967 borders are the basis of the negotiations.

Palestinians and Israelis have debated whether these issues are considered preconditions to peace talks or simply the required framework for which any conflicting parties need to agree on, to establish the relevance of peace talks about a territory that one side continues to occupy and colonize.

Whatever the definitions are, the requirements for peace talks appear to be partially approved by the one mediator who is able — if so choosing — to obtain the required agreement for the end of the 46-year-old Israeli occupation and illegal settlement building in what the world has determined to be the areas of the state of Palestine.

The US mediator — namely US Secretary of State John Kerry and the Obama administration behind him — seem to have accepted some kind of verbal Israeli support for an undeclared stoppage of settlement activities, mostly in the areas which Israel has defined. The framework of the peace talks is seemingly more complicated.  Apparently, Kerry gave verbal commitment followed by written US commitments. Israel has never publicly agreed to consider the 1967 borders as the basis for talks.