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Clinton to Hold Talks with Israeli, Palestinian Negotiators

   VOA News 10 December 2010

   Senior  Israeli  and  Palestinian  officials will meet separately with
   U.S.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington Friday, as part
   of efforts to restart the stalled peace talks. Â
   Clinton  will  meet  with  Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and
   chief  negotiator  Saeb  Erakat, then hold separate talks with Israeli
   Defense  Minister  Ehud  Barak  at  a  luxury  Washington hotel.  The
   meetings  will  be  held  ahead of a major speech Clinton will deliver
   outlining  the  Obama  administration's  commitment to the Middle East
   peace process.
   The  peace  talks  suffered  another  setback this week after the U.S.
   abandoned   efforts   to   persuade  Israel  to  extend  a  freeze  on
   construction  of new settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.Â
   Speaking to reporters in Cairo Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud
   Abbas said he will not negotiate without a settlement freeze. Â
   Palestinian  officials  say  Mr.  Abbas  also  requested  an emergency
   meeting  of Arab League foreign ministers to discuss the repercussions
   of  Washington's  move.   That  meeting  is  expected in the Egyptian
   capital within days.
   The  U.S.  will  send  Middle  East  envoy George Mitchell back to the
   region  next week in an effort to advance stalled talks between Israel
   and  the  Palestinians.   In  announcing  the Mitchell mission, State
   Department  spokesman  P.J.  Crowley said the freeze issue had come to
   overshadow the broader agenda and that it is time to shift tactics.
   Crowley  said Washington does not believe at this time that an Israeli
   moratorium can provide the basis for resuming direct negotiations.
   Erekat said Wednesday that in light of the breakdown, and decisions by
   Brazil  and Argentina this week to unilaterally recognize Palestine as
   an independent state, his government would formally appeal to the U.S.
   to do the same.
   The U.S. State Department has expressed its disapproval of the move by
   South   American   countries   to   recognize  Palestinian  statehood,
   describing  any  unilateral  action,  in the absence of a peace accord
   between the parties, as unhelpful.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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