Israel doesn't want to see deadlines imposed on the negotiating process with the Palestinians, even as the US is endorsing the idea of a two-year time frame.
In the past, attempts to impose time frameworks have not proved either realizable or helpful," Ambassador to Washington Michael Oren told The Jerusalem Post.
Oren talked to the Post hours before US Middle East envoy George Mitchell said Wednesday night that "we think that the negotiation should last no more than two years. Once begun we think it can be done within that period of time."
Mitchell was speaking on PBS's Charlie Rose show, as the Americans were making an intensified push to get Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table and amidst much prodding from the Arab side for a limited time-line on the talks.
"We hope the parties agree," Mitchell said of the two-year schedule. "Personally I think it can be done in a shorter period of time."
Oren, in throwing cold water on the idea, noted that he had no particular knowledge of efforts to limit talks to two years.
The question is, will the Americans be able to provide us with any assurances," he said. "However, I don't think there's room for much optimism because in the past we've seen that the Americans couldn't force Israel to meet its commitments under the terms of the road map."
Nabil Abu Rudaineh, a spokesman for Abbas, threatened that if the US administration failed to force Israel to completely halt settlement construction, the PA would seek the UN Security 
Abu Rudaineh warned that the entire region was facing a "volcano" because of the international community's indifference to Israeli "intransigence."
Meanwhile, Mitchell, who said he would be returning to Israel in the "next few days," also said he would be going to Syria to try to breathe life in the dormant Israel-Syrian track.
"Until now, the Syrians want to complete the indirect talks through Turkey that began in 2008 but ended when the Gaza conflict erupted," he said. "The Israelis prefer immediate and direct negotiations with the Syrians, not completing the indirect process through the Turks. What we said to the two sides is we want to facilitate their coming together. And I will be going to both Israel and Syria on my upcoming visit to try to further this process."
Mitchell said he believed that "an Israel-Syria track could operate in parallel with an Israeli-Palestinian track."
Herb Keinon contributed to this report.
