Israel’s Netanyahu, US envoy try to end spat over settlements in Jerusalem meeting

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 18th, 2009 US envoy in new try to revive Mideast peace talksJERUSALEM — The U.S. Mideast envoy is pressing on with efforts to revive Mideast peace talks and extract Israeli concessions on settlements.

September 17th, 2009 JERUSALEM - Israel will not completely freeze all construction in its West Bank settlements, as the United States and the Palestinians have demanded, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday. "A freeze for me means zero construction.

September 16th, 2009 US envoy to press Israel yet again on settlementsJERUSALEM — Washington's special envoy to the Mideast on Wednesday wrapped up his second meeting this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without reaching an agreement on curtailing Israeli settlement construction. U.S. official George Mitchell will sit down with Netanyahu for a third time on Friday, Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

September 15th, 2009 Mitchell to meet with Netanyahu, AbbasJERUSALEM — The Obama administration's special Mideast envoy will be huddling with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, hoping to wring an agreement on Jewish West Bank settlements that would get moribund peace talks back on track. George Mitchell's first meeting on Tuesday will be with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

September 15th, 2009 US envoy pressing for settlement curtailmentJERUSALEM — Washington's special envoy to the Mideast will press Israel on Wednesday for further concessions on settlement construction, having failed a day earlier to reach an accommodation palatable to the U.S. and the Palestinians.

September 14th, 2009 Netanyahu: There will be no construction freezeJERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuffed U.S. demands for a total West Bank settlement freeze on Monday, digging in his heels before a crucial meeting with Washington's special Mideast envoy.

September 4th, 2009 Moussa: no to settlement freeze without JerusalemCERNOBBIO, Italy — The Arab League chief says any Israeli offer for a settlement freeze that doesn't include east Jerusalem is unacceptable and "will suspend the peace process." Amr Moussa spoke Friday at a conference on Italy's Lake Como. Moussa said a freeze of settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians hope to make their capital, is a precondition for any meaningful talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

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.

July 20th, 2009 Mitchell heads to Mideast after new spatWASHINGTON — The special U.S. envoy for Middle East peace departs for the region this week amid new signs of tension between the Obama administration and the Israeli government over settlement construction.

July 4th, 2009 Barak, Mitchell to meet again on settlementsJERUSALEM — An Israeli defense official says Defense Minister Ehud Barak is to hold a second round of talks with U.S. special Mideast peace envoy George Mitchell next week in an effort to resolve differences between the two sides on Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

June 24th, 2009 Israel: settlement issue prompted US meeting delayPARIS — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Paris for talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, as differences with the United States over settlements emerged as a key issue. An Israeli official says his government postponed a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Washington's top Mideast envoy because it wanted more time to iron out differences over settlements.

June 23rd, 2009 Israeli prime minister postpones Mitchell meetingROME — A meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama's special Middle East peace envoy, former Sen. George Mitchell, has been postponed.

June 15th, 2009 Netanyahu hopes for 'understanding'on settlementsWASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel cannot live side by side with a new Palestinian state if it must continually be in fear of attack. But Netanyahu repeated in a nationally broadcast interview his groundbreaking statement saying that he would accept a Palestinian state.

June 7th, 2009 Netanyahu plans major policy address next weekJERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he'll deliver a major policy address next week in the wake of repeated U.S. calls for a freeze in West Bank settlement construction.