Washington, Muharram 8, 1433, Dec 3, 2011, SPA - Direct talks must start between Israel and the Palestinians before any negotiation on borders and security can take place as part of a two-state peace deal, the United States said Friday. A U.S.-backed mediation effort calls for the Israelis and Palestinians to present their plans by late January. The United States and other Middle East mediators are pressing Israel and the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table, State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said Friday. Only then can the Israelis and Palestinians work on establishing an independent Palestine and end six decades of conflict. “We're moving towards a direct exchange between the parties, … that face-to-face preparatory meeting where we can talk about proposals on territory and security. That's our goal,” Toner told reporters. --SPA 10:32 LOCAL TIME 07:32 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/948845