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US Mideast Envoy: Palestinians Want Peace Talks to Continue

   VOA News 03 October 2010
   Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, right, meets with U.S. Mideast envoy
   George  Mitchell  at  the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday,
   Oct. 3, 2010

Photo: AP

   Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, right, meets with U.S. Mideast envoy
   George  Mitchell  at  the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday,
   Oct. 3, 2010

   The  U.S.  envoy  to  the Middle East says the Palestinians want peace
   talks  to  continue,  even though the Palestinians decided that direct
   negotiations  cannot resume until Israel stops building settlements in
   the occupied West Bank.
   U.S.  envoy  George  Mitchell  said  Sunday in Cairo, Egypt, that both
   Israelis  and  Palestinians  have  asked  to  continue  indirect peace
   discussions "in an effort to establish the conditions under which they
   can continue direct negotiations."
   Mitchell  met  with  Egyptian  President  Hosni  Mubarak Sunday before
   traveling  to Jordan.  Egypt is supporting the Palestinians' decision
   to  discontinue  direct  negotiations  as  long as Israel continues to
   build West Bank settlements.
   On  Friday, Mitchell met separately with Palestinian President Mahmoud
   Abbas  and  Israeli  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an effort to
   break the deadlock. Â
   The  Palestinian  leaders  announced their position Saturday after Mr.
   Abbas  met with senior Palestine Liberation Organization officials and
   members of his Fatah movement.  They say they hold Israel responsible
   for obstructing negotiations.
   Mr.  Netanyahu  on  Saturday  reacted  by urging Abbas to continue the
   peace  talks  without a break.  The Israeli leader is facing pressure
   from  his  coalition partners to continue building settlements after a
   10-month-old moratorium expired a week ago.
   Israeli  spokesman Mark Regev says the moratorium was intended to be a
   "confidence-building  measure"  to  get  talks  started.  He says the
   negotiating  table is the only place to address disagreements over the
   construction.
   His  tour  is  taking  place ahead of a crucial meeting of Arab League
   foreign  ministers this week.  Mr. Abbas earlier said he would decide
   whether  to  quit  the  talks  after  consulting  with the Arab League
   foreign ministers.
   Israel's  moratorium on West Bank settlement construction expired last
   Sunday.   Palestinians  object  to  settlement activity in areas they
   want as part of a future state.

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

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