State Department: US getting closer to an arrangement for resuming Israel-Palestinian 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 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 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 12th, 2009 US envoy arrives in Israel for talksJERUSALEM — U.S. Mideast peace envoy George Mitchell is in Israel to try and kick start Israeli-Palestinian talks before the two sides meet at the U.N.

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 9th, 2009 Top Israeli: No Palestinian leadershipJERUSALEM — A top aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there is no Palestinian leadership and he doubts there will be true peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The statement by National Security Council chief Uzi Arad raises new questions about how Israel intends to proceed with efforts to renew stalled peace talks.

June 16th, 2009 AP sources: Obama envoy to meet Israeli leaderWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is sending his special Middle East peace envoy to Europe next week for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aimed at quickly restarting negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, two U.S. officials said Tuesday.

June 16th, 2009 Obama welcomes Israeli prime minister's speechWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Monday welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's endorsement of Palestinian independence, saying the development shows the "possibility we can restart serious talks." Bending to U.S. pressure in a speech a day earlier, Netanyahu backed down on decades of opposition to Palestinian statehood by endorsing an independent state beside Israel.

June 14th, 2009 Netanyahu accepts limited Palestinian stateJERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Sunday called for creation of a limited Palestinian state for the first time, saying it would have to be disarmed. Netanyahu made the call during a major policy speech about his Mideast peacemaking intentions.

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.

May 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama has urged Israel to freeze Jewish settlement activities in the West Bank, reiterating Washington's support for establishing a Palestinian state. After meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the White House Thursday, Obama told reporters that Israel "must meet obligations" to halt Jewish settlement activities in the West Bank, and that Israel would recognise the two-state solution in its security interests.

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.

April 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama has invited the Egyptian, Israeli and Palestinian leaders to Washington for talks on resuming the peace process, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Tuesday. Obama would hold separate meetings with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Gibbs said, adding that no dates had been set for the visits.

April 19th, 2009 JERUSALEM - The Palestinian Authority and the Hamas have rejected Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's precondition for peace talks that the Palestinians recognize his country as a Jewish state. Netanyahu made the demand during a meeting with US special Middle East envoy George Mitchell.