Mitchell discusses settlements with Barak, Peres

Date: 09 / 06 / 2009 Time: 13:37
Jerusalem – Ma’an –

US Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell met with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and President Shimon Peres to discuss US President Barak Obama’s stance on settlement construction in the West Bank.

According to Voice of Israel, the Tuesday morning meetings dealt mainly with US President Barack Obama’s demand that Israel halt all construction in illegal West Bank settlements, remove settler “outposts,” and ease movement for Palestinians.

The meetings also addressed recent regional developments including the national election in Lebanon, and the possibility of a comprehensive peace treaty.

On Monday Mitchell said Obama was seeking an “immediate” resumption in Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, which are now on hold due to Netanyahu’s refusal to halt settlements and accept the creation of a Palestinian state.

Mitchell is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and will travel to Ramallah to meet Palestinian leaders later this week.

Obama presents Egypt and Israel a plan for a two-state solution

Tuesday June 09, 2009 12:43 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agecnies

AlSharq- Al Awsat (Middle East) newspaper reported Tuesday that the US President, Barack Obama, presented Egypt and Israel a plan for Middle East peace with a proposed timeframe of two years.

The plan hopes to achieve peace in the Middle East by 2011 and includes the creation of a Palestinian state.

The paper added that Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is to respond to the plan within six weeks.

Obama elaborated on parts of his plan during his last week’s meetings with the Egyptian intelligence Chief, Omar Suleiman, and Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Ahmed Abu Al-Ghait.

Egypt was asked to give a response to the plan as soon as possible.

Senior sources at the Obama administration stated that the US wants to pursue a two-state solution as part of Obama’s promise to improve the US-Arab relations.

Netanyahu stated that the US Administration is trying to improve its relations with the Arab world by having an open controversy with Israel regarding its policies in the Middle East.

US Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, is currently visiting Israel for talks with its officials.

He is expected to demand that Israel freezes the construction of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Israeli sources stated that Mitchell will most likely hold talks on resuming Israeli-Syrian peace talks.

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