United States to make final push

Ahead of UN meet on Middle East peace:

ISRAEL: US Middle East envoy George Mitchell was to make a final push to revive Middle East peace talks during a visit to the region Sunday ahead of the annual UN General Assembly meeting later this month.

Washington has for months been trying to wrangle a settlement freeze out of Israel and wring concessions from Arab states to allow for the resumption of peace talks suspended during the Gaza war at the turn of the year.

But while Israel has agreed to a temporary settlement halt, it has also authorised the construction of hundreds of new homes in advance of the freeze.

The Palestinians have said they will not resume talks and Arab leaders have said they will not take steps to normalise relations with Israel without a complete halt to settlement growth.

Diplomats have nevertheless expressed hope that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas would meet for the first time on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly later this month.

However, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat has insisted that the Palestinians will not back down from their demand that Israel halt all settlement activity ahead of any new talks.

Jerusalem, Sunday, AFP