US Envoy Meeting with Israeli PM
By VOA News
30 October 2009
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held talks with a U.S. envoy on relaunching Mideast peace talks, ahead of a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The Israeli prime minister met with former Senator George Mitchell in Jerusalem Friday. After the meeting, Mr. Netanyahu said he looked forward to discussions to try to restart peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians "as soon as possible."
Clinton is traveling to the United Arab Emirates, following a three-day visit to Pakistan. On Saturday, Mitchell will join her for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Abu Dhabi. She is then expected to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel.
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley says Clinton's visits reflect the U.S. administration's commitment to work through the challenges that U.S. negotiators have been facing as they pursue "comprehensive Middle East peace."
The Palestinians are demanding that Israel stop settlement activity in the occupied territories before they are willing to resume talks. Israel is offering only a partial halt to Jewish settlement construction.
Also, the two sides have yet to agree on the future of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees and the borders of a future Palestinian state.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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