Israeli officials say Palestinian uprising unlikely

Palestinian leaders on Thursday called for a one-day general strike and warned of more street protests over Jerusalem, but Israel played down the risk of an uprising despite two weeks of tension in the disputed city.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction made the call for the strike on Friday in Jerusalem and the occupied West Banko, and Palestinian leaders warned of a battle ahead of Friday prayers at al-Aqsa mosque.

The compound housing the mosque is a holy place for both Muslims and Jews, and has often been a flashpoint. Israeli security forces control access to the area and regularly prohibit young Muslim men from entering the holy site in Jerusalem's Old City.

Tensions rose two weeks ago when police and Palestinian protesters clashed near the al-Aqsa mosque.

Palestinians said the clashes were triggered by religious Israeli Jews and settlers trying to enter the site, which they see as a provocation to Muslim feelings. Israel said Palestinian protesters tried to prevent Israeli groups from entering the compound, leading to clashes with police.

Violence under control

A beefed-up Israeli police presence, and a relatively small turnout of Palestinian protesters, has kept violence under control in sporadic clashes since late September.

Palestinians in senior positions have warned of the risk of a Third Intifada, or uprising, but Israel has tried to avoid getting involved in a war of words over Jerusalem.

"I don't think we're facing a third intifada," Israeli Vice Premier Silvan Shalom said in a statement to Reuters. "Whoever says so is trying to instill fear."

Palestinians staged violent uprisings against Israeli rule in the late 1980s and again in 2000 when peace talks failed.

Small groups of Palestinian stone-throwers clashed with Israeli forces in the most recent cycle of confrontation and Israel banished a few Palestinian leaders from Jerusalem charging them with incitement.

But the violence has not escalated further.

I don't think we're facing a third intifada

Israeli Vice Premier Silvan Shalom

Relaunching peace talks

Meanwhile, U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell began a fresh trip to the region on Thursday aiming to push Israelis and Palestinians to agree to restart peace talks, but with few expecting a breakthrough.

"We will continue with our efforts to achieve an early relaunch of negotiations... because we believe that is an essential step to achieving a comprehensive peace," Mitchell said as he began talks with Israeli President Shimon Peres.

"There will be problems and difficulties along the road," he said. "But I want to assure you that (U.S.) President (Barack) Obama... (remains) deeply and firmly committed to achieving comprehensive peace in the region."

The former senator was also to meet with the Israeli foreign and defense ministers on Thursday ahead of separate talks on Friday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

Conflict can not to be solved soon

Before his planned meeting with the American envoy, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that the decades-long Arab-Israeli conflict would not be solved within the coming years.

"Those who think that we can within the coming years reach a global deal that will end the conflict do not understand reality. They are sowing illusions," he told public radio.

"We have to be realistic. We will not be able to reach agreement on core and emotional subjects like Jerusalem and the right of return," he said. "What we have to do is to reach a long-term agreement and delay the difficult subjects for later."

"I am going to say very clearly, there are conflicts that have not been completely solved and people have learned to live with it, like Cyprus."

Those who think that we can within the coming years reach a global deal that will end the conflict do not understand reality. They are sowing illusions

U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell