However, Palestinian officials and observers said that the Palestinians' choice of approving the Quartet's statement to define a reference for the peace talks and even sponsor the talks with Israel "is a clear Palestinian disappointment from the U.S. sponsorship of the peace process."

"The Palestinians consider the sole American sponsorship of the talks had reached its end," said Amira, adding that Washington "is not a mediator anymore after it had failed to pressure on Israel to halt settlement activities in the Palestinian territories, mainly in East Jerusalem."

He accused the United States of retreating from its pledges towards the requirements of the peace process, adding that the U.S. "has been only exerting pressure on the Palestinians in order to convince them to go for direct negotiations without any guarantees. "

Mekhemer Abu Se'da, the political science professor at the Gaza- based al-Azhar University, told Xinhua that the U.S. "passes through a crucial situation these days on the eve of the congress elections in November," adding "the U.S. wants to go for direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians by all means."

"The U.S. may accept the proposal related to handing the Quartet a sponsorship of the talks as one of the means to encourage the Palestinians to go for direct talks with Israel, based on the vision of the two-state solution, but without having any substantial progress," said Abu Se'da.

Eyad al-Barghouti, another political analyst from the West Bank, told Xinhua that he rules out that the choice of involving the international Quartet in the direct talks would succeed in pressuring on Israel to achieve what the Palestinians want, mainly halting settlement.

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