No progress was reported following a second round of meetings between the U.S. Mideast envoy and the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
George Mitchell extended his visit in order to meet again separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas on Jan. 24. He had met Jan. 21 with Netanyahu and the next day with Abbas.
Netanyahu and Mitchell met Jan. 24 for three hours.
“Today I heard some interesting ideas for renewing the [peace] process,” Netanyahu said at the beginning of the regular Cabinet meeting later that day. “I also expressed my hope that these new ideas will allow for the renewal of the process. Certainly if the Palestinians express a similar readiness, then we will find ourselves in a diplomatic process.”
Abbas reportedly told Mitchell that the Palestinians were willing to go back to peace negotiations if there is a complete cessation of Israeli building in the West Bank and no preconditions.
Mitchell was to visit Jordan and Egypt before returning to Washington. — jta