Mideast peacemakers cancel news conference, Israeli-Palestinian talks stall

Mideast peacemakers cancel conference amid rancor

UNITED NATIONS — The Quartet of Mideast peacemakers shepherding the newly started direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations called on Israel to extend a settlement freeze, after abruptly canceling a planned news conference over a disagreement on who would appear on behalf of the group.

Senior diplomats from the Quartet — the U.S., the European Union, the United Nations and Russia — met on the sidelines of the United Nations anti-poverty meeting to discuss a way forward in the negotiations, which have made little visible progress since they resumed earlier this month and are at risk of collapsing.

In a statement afterward, the Quartet said the “commendable Israeli settlement moratorium instituted last November has had a positive impact and urged its continuation.” It encouraged both sides to continue negotiating “in a constructive manner and urged the international community to support their efforts.”

But on the key issue of whether Israel will extend a partial ban on settlement building in the West Bank, territory the Palestinians want for a future state, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon indicated that Israel disagrees with the view that construction is a major impediment to the talks.

“Settlements have never been an issue, because once we agree on borders everything will be obvious, so let’s concentrate on the real issues and not just put the obstacle in the settlements,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Quartet’s talks.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner also said France was exerting “pressure and talking to our friends on both sides” in hopes Israel would prolong the settlement freeze, which expires Sunday.

“We need that. Otherwise, the Palestinians were very clear — they will stop the negotiations and the dialogue…,” he said.

Israeli President Shimon Peres met privately late Monday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a hotel across from the U.N. complex. They spoke briefly to reporters but did not discuss particulars about the recently renewed Mideast talks, including the key issue of would extend the partial ban on.

On Tuesday, Peres was appearing at a round-table discussion presented by the Clinton Global Initiative with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Bahrain’s crown prince, Sheik Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Bahrain and Israel have no formal relations. Former President Bill Clinton was moderating.

Abbas and other top Palestinian officials have repeatedly said that if Israel resumes settlement construction in the West Bank they will walk away from the talks, which resumed under U.S. leadership. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the Palestinians not to impose conditions for the talks, but the Palestinians oppose anything less than a full settlement freeze.

Shortly after taking office in 2009, President Barack Obama said an outright halt to settlement building was a necessary first step, although his administration has since softened that demand.