Abbas: Israel’s settlement expansion blocks relaunch peace talks

September 24th, 2009 Israel hails US call for talks without conditionsJERUSALEM — Israel's prime minister welcomed Thursday President Barack Obama's call for the resumption of Mideast peace talks without preconditions despite Palestinian demands for a halt to new Jewish settlements in the West Bank before any new negotiations begin. In the past, Obama had said all Israeli building must stop on lands the Palestinians claim for a future state.

September 22nd, 2009 Mideast summit unlikely to relaunch peace talksNEW YORK — The Israeli and Palestinian leaders shook hands at the start of their first face-to-face meeting Tuesday, hosted by President Barack Obama, but the small gesture was unlikely to translate into a quick resumption of peace talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas remain far apart on key issues, including Israeli settlement expansion and the agenda of future talks.

September 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has insisted that Israel must honour commitments on borders with Palestine made in 2008 talks in order to resume the stalled bilateral peace negotiations. Abbas met Tuesday US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York to discuss the settlement of the long-lasting Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the resumption of peace talks, which were suspended last December.

September 20th, 2009 Obama, Netanyahu, Abbas to meet amid tensionsWASHINGTON — At a time when wide differences are hindering Mideast peace talks, President Barack Obama will host a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The three men will meet Tuesday in New York on the sidelines of the U.N.

September 18th, 2009 Palestinian aide: No deal on resuming peace talksRAMALLAH, West Bank — President Barack Obama's special Mideast envoy was unable Friday to bridge wide gaps between Israelis and Palestinians on the terms of renewing peace talks, the chief Palestinian negotiator said. U.S. officials said mediation efforts would continue, however.

September 15th, 2009 US envoy pushes Israel for settlement compromiseJERUSALEM — Washington's special Mideast envoy pressed Israel to curtail West Bank settlement construction but announced no breakthroughs after talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Tuesday. After an evening meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Mitchell said the U.S.

September 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Israel's plan to expand settlements in the West Bank was regretful and "inconsistent" with the international peace plan designed to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "We regret the reports of Israel's plans to approve additional settlement construction," Clinton said in a statement.

September 3rd, 2009 Aide: Netanyahu considering settlement freezeJERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be willing to consider suspending construction in the West Bank for several months — but first plans to authorize hundreds of new apartments there, an aide said Friday. The U.S. has been pressing Israel to agree to a settlement freeze, and the Palestinians have said they would not resume peace talks unless Israel suspends construction on lands they want for a future state.

September 3rd, 2009 France: No more settlements, or no Mideast peacePARIS — France's foreign minister says an agreement on freezing Jewish settlements must be reached for international Mideast peace efforts to succeed. Bernard Kouchner and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met Thursday in Paris.

August 25th, 2009 Netanyahu seeks compromise with US on settlementsLONDON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will seek a compromise in talks with the United States that would allow Israel to proceed with some settlement construction while restarting peace talks with the Palestinians. Israel's leader is on a four-day European tour and will meet his British counterpart Tuesday.

August 20th, 2009 AMMAN - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday the US administration of President Barack Obama was still adamant in its demand that Israel completely halts the building of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as a pre-condition for the resumption of peace talks with Israel. "We did not feel any retraction in the US attitude in this respect," Abbas told reporters after talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

July 12th, 2009 Israel's Netanyahu invites Abbas to talk peaceJERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday invited the Palestinians to sit down immediately to talk peace, but the Palestinian leader rebuffed the call, saying that Israel must first halt all West Bank settlement construction. The issue of Israeli settlements has emerged as a major sticking point in efforts to restart peace talks, which halted shortly before Netanyahu took office in March.

June 10th, 2009 US envoy pushes for prompt Mideast peace talksRAMALLAH, West Bank — The United States seeks a "prompt resumption and early conclusion" of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Washington's special Mideast envoy said after talks Wednesday with Palestinian leaders. Former Sen. George Mitchell did not give any timetable in his prepared statement to reporters after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

April 27th, 2009 Abbas demands Israel halt building settlementsRAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has delivered a tough speech on peace-making with Israel, saying there's no way he'll resume negotiations without an Israeli settlement freeze. Abbas also said Monday that Israel is defined by the borders it had before the 1967 Mideast War and "not one centimeter more." In 1967, Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem — territories the Palestinians seek for their state.

April 27th, 2009 Abbas won't be pressured into talks with IsraelRAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinians won't be pressured into resuming peace talks with Israel as long as construction in Jewish settlements continues, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday. Abbas said a complete construction freeze is a prerequisite for resuming talks.