US officials keep in touch with Mideast leaders as they try to get peace process back on track

September 23rd, 2009 Obama urges relaunch of Mideast peace negotiationsUNITED NATIONS — President Barack Obama says the time has come to re-launch negotiations toward the long-elusive goal of Mideast peace. In a speech to the U.N.

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 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 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.

September 2nd, 2009 Obama envoy to resume talks in Mideast next weekWASHINGTON — The State Department says former Sen. George Mitchell, who is the Obama administration's special envoy for Mideast peace, will return to the region next week for another round of talks aimed at setting the stage for a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

August 24th, 2009 US says resumption of Mideast peace talks closerWASHINGTON — The State Department says its Mideast peace envoy is getting closer to winning agreement by the Israelis and Palestinians to resume peace talks. Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters Monday that scheduled talks Wednesday in London between peace envoy George Mitchell and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not necessarily produce a breakthrough.

August 20th, 2009 Obama, King Abdullah II speak on Mideast peaceWASHINGTON — The White House says President Barack Obama spoke with Jordan's King Abdullah II about their efforts to restart peace negotiations in the Middle East. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Thursday said the two spoke by phone about restarting regional talks to secure a stable Middle East.

August 7th, 2009 Clarification: BC-US--US-Mideast-JordanWASHINGTON — In an Aug. 3 story on American peace efforts in the Mideast, The Associated Press reported that Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh rejected support for confidence-building measures that the U.S.

June 26th, 2009 Mideast Quartet urges Israel to halt settlementsTRIESTE, Italy — The Quartet of Mideast negotiators has called on Israel to freeze all settlement activity and to lift its blockade on the Gaza Strip. The Quartet — the United States, Russia, United Nations and European Union — met Friday on the sidelines of a meeting of the Group of Eight foreign ministers, who made a similar call for Mideast peace.

June 14th, 2009 Netanyahu appeals to Arab leaders for peaceJERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Sunday called on Palestinian leaders to restart peace negotiations without preconditions. Netanyahu made the call during a major policy speech about his Mideast peacemaking intentions.

June 5th, 2009 DRESDEN - US President Barack Obama Friday said the time was ripe to take action to push forward the Middle East peace process. "The moment to act is now," the president told a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after talks in the East German city of Dresden.

June 5th, 2009 Obama sees mood better for Mideast peace talksDRESDEN, Germany — President Barack Obama says he's worked harder than other presidents in recent years to arrange a Mideast peace agreement, arguing he's created "the space, the atmosphere" for new talks. Obama made the assertion in a joint appearance with Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, who promised to cooperate in her own right on this long-sought goal.

June 5th, 2009 Obama sees 'serious progress' for Mideast peaceDRESDEN, Germany — Trying to defy decades of disappointment in the Middle East, President Barack Obama raised hopes Friday for "serious progress this year" in the elusive search for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. "The moment is now for us to act," Obama declared at a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

May 4th, 2009 UN meeting to give impetus to Mideast peaceUNITED NATIONS — Russia has invited Security Council ministers to a meeting next week to give "new impetus" to the Middle East peace process. Russia's U.N.

March 1st, 2009 RAMALLAH - US Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell is interested in making peace in the whole region rather than in just the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Saturday. In his second tour since his appointment, Mitchell met Israeli leaders Thursday and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his premier Salam Fayyad Friday.