In another promising show of peaceful ambitions on top of the Taliban developments, Israeli and Palestinian envoys met Tuesday in Amman, Jordan for the first time in more than a year. The Associated Press reported the negotiators came together with Mideast mediators from the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, even after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas threatened to take "new measures" against Israel at the end of the month.

Israel's Yitzhak Molcho and Palestinian envoy Saeb Erekat also met with Jordan's foreign minister, Nasser Judeh, to discuss the contentious issues of national borders and security.

From ABC News, which carried the AP's report:

A diplomat who attended the larger meeting said the talks were "serious."

"It was a brainstorming session in which both sides, the Israelis and Palestinians, showed eagerness to restart peace negotiations," the diplomat said. He declined to elaborate and insisted on anonymity, saying a public comment could adversely affect the sensitive meeting.

…At the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed Tuesday's talks. "The secretary-general encourages the parties to build on this meeting and to continue working to establish forward momentum toward a lasting peace," said a statement issued by his office.

President Abbas had set a Jan. 26 deadline for resumed talks. It's unclear whether Israel will accept his conditions, stopping its efforts to build settlements on the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Palestinian officials have also said they may continue to push for U.N. membership, a campaign hotly contested by the 15-member Security Council. If denied again, Palestinians may settle on an enhanced observer status within the U.N.

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