This week was all about diplomacy with the most recent meetings between US Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. On June 11, Mitchell met with Israeli leaders including Israeli President Shimon Peres, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Mitchell basically carried the message of his big boss, US President Barack Obama, urging the Israeli government to freeze settlement activity while pushing for its acceptance of the two-state solution.

Mitchell told Netanyahu that the Obama administration will not back down on its insistence to a freeze of construction in all Israeli settlements in the West Bank, adding that Washington has maintained the same position on this issue for the last 40 years.

Still, Netanyahu and Mitchell both reiterated their countries' mutual alliance. "We come here to talk not as adversaries and in disagreement, but as friends in discussion," Mitchell told Netanyahu, reassuring the Israeli premier that the US commitment to Israel was "unshakeable."

Netanyahu went out on the farthest limb possible for his right-wing government saying, "Israel is acting to advance peace and security with the Palestinians and with the Arab world."

A day later, the US envoy met with President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. During a press conference, Mitchell reassured Palestinians that his country would never "abandon their legitimate aspirations."

"The only viable solution for this conflict is for the aspirations of both sides to be met in two states," Mitchell said during the press conference with Abbas. "The US has an obligation to create conditions for the prompt resumption and early conclusion of negotiations," he said, adding that "America will not turn our back to the legitimate Palestinian aspirations for dignity, opportunity and a state of their own."

Still, all is not quite well with the US and Israel especially. According to one senior US official quoted on June 12, the proposals laid out in Netanyahu's speech he is to give tomorrow, will not be enough for the Obama administration. Although the specifics of the speech were not divulged, apparently Washington is looking for an immediate resumption of peace talks between Palestinians and Israel, talks that are hinged on the premise of a two state solution. This is something Netanyahu has not accepted and which may continue to cause tension between him and Washington.

Also on June 12, Mitchell called on Arab countries to take "meaningful steps" towards normalization with Israel. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abul Gheith responded to Mitchell's call by saying that two conditions had to be met before any such steps would be taken. These include a freeze of all settlements and a withdrawal of the Israeli army until the borders before the eruption of the Intifada on September 28, 2000.

Throughout these renewed diplomatic efforts, Jerusalem remained at the center of the conflict in more ways than one. On June 10, Israeli police in the city handed demolition orders to 88 Palestinian homes in the eastern sector. According to eyewitnesses, a large force from the Israeli police raided Al Bustan Quarter in the town of Silwan, south of the Old City and handed the residents orders for immediate demolition of the homes. Apparently, Dr. Rafiq al-Husseini, head of President Abbas' office said he informed Mitchell that there is no possibility for peace or for signing any agreement with the Israeli government until Israel stops its attacks on Jerusalem and Palestinian Jerusalemites.

These "attacks" are continuing however, unhindered. On June 9, the west Jerusalem municipality issued a demolition order against a residential building consisting of two floors in the Magharbeh Quarter south of al-Aqsa Mosque under the pretext that it was built without a license. The building belongs to Abdul Kareem Abu Hadwan and is home to 40 people.

Also on June 9, occupation authorities in Jerusalem forced Mohammed Ghosheh from the Old City to demolish his own home. According to Ghosheh, the municipality gave him two choices: either to demolish his own home or to have the municipality demolish it, which would then impose a NIS100,000 fine on him for the demolition.

These orders came one day after a wave of demolition orders were handed out to 13 homes in the Garden of Eden Quarter in Bet Hanina, claiming they were built without the proper licenses. If the homes are demolished, 100 Palestinians will be left without shelter.

Also, on June 7, Israel ratified its structural plan for Jerusalem for 2020. Barring other details, the plan aims at bringing the number of Palestinian residents in the city down to a mere 12 percent of the total population. As of today, Palestinians comprise 34 percent. Furthermore, the plan aims to bring in an additional one million Jews to the city.

Violence was renewed in the Gaza Strip on June 8 when four Palestinians were killed in an armed clash with Israeli occupation soldiers near the Karni Crossing east of Gaza City. Apparently, the men were planning to take Israeli soldiers hostage but the plan went awry and ended in their demise. Three of the four were identified as: Hani Tarabeen, Taher Issa and Fahed Al Minawi, while the fourth remained unidentified. According to media sources, there were originally ten men, believed to part of the Jaysh Al Islam (Islam Army) riding horses and booby-trapped cars to the place of the scene. A number of these ten were injured in the crossfire.