Clinton to try to defuse crisis over settlements that threatens to derail new Mideast talks
By APWednesday, September 15, 2010
Clinton to try to defuse settlement crisis
JERUSALEM — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will try to defuse a looming crisis over Israeli settlement construction in talks with Palestinian and Israeli leaders.
Palestinians are threatening to walk out of just-resumed negotiations if Israel doesn’t extend its curb on Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank, due to expire in late September.
Clinton will try to bridge the gap in meetings with the two sides in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested some curbs will remain. But he is resisting U.S. pressure to continue the more sweeping slowdown he pushed through his reluctant Cabinet 10 months ago.
The three sides tackled the problem in meetings in Egypt on Tuesday, but no breakthroughs were announced.
