(Haaretz).Israel and the United States failed Tuesday to reach a compromise on the contentious issue of West Bank settlement construction.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for two hours in Jerusalem with U.S. President Barack Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell. The meeting ended with no results.
The prime minister's bureau released a statement to the press describing the sit-down as "good." The two men will resume their discussions in Netanyahu's office Thursday morning.
Netanyahu told Mitchell, "We extend our hand to the Palestinians in search of peace. We hope for prosperity and security in our region."
The inability to strike a final deal thus forces Mitchell to extend his stay in Israel. The envoy has been engaged in intensive efforts to wrest an Israeli commitment to halt settlement construction in time for next week's United Nations General Assembly meeting.
At he start of the meeting, envoy George Mitchell told the premier that he is hopeful the U.S. and Israel can reach agreement on the future of settlement construction in the West Bank.
"We hope to bring this phase of our discussions to early conclusion and to move forward in our common search for a comprehensive peace in the region," Mitchell told reporters at the start of the meeting, indicating he hoped to wrap up a deal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for two hours in Jerusalem with U.S. President Barack Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell. The meeting ended with no results.
The prime minister's bureau released a statement to the press describing the sit-down as "good." The two men will resume their discussions in Netanyahu's office Thursday morning.
Netanyahu told Mitchell, "We extend our hand to the Palestinians in search of peace. We hope for prosperity and security in our region."
The inability to strike a final deal thus forces Mitchell to extend his stay in Israel. The envoy has been engaged in intensive efforts to wrest an Israeli commitment to halt settlement construction in time for next week's United Nations General Assembly meeting.
At he start of the meeting, envoy George Mitchell told the premier that he is hopeful the U.S. and Israel can reach agreement on the future of settlement construction in the West Bank.
"We hope to bring this phase of our discussions to early conclusion and to move forward in our common search for a comprehensive peace in the region," Mitchell told reporters at the start of the meeting, indicating he hoped to wrap up a deal.
