US Mideast envoy Mitchell arrives in Israel

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Source: AFP

US Mideast envoy Mitchell arrives in Israel
By Joseph Krauss (AFP) – 8 hours ago

JERUSALEM — US envoy George Mitchell began his latest Middle East tour on Sunday and the Israeli prime minister was to head to Egypt as efforts to kick-start the peace process intensified ahead of the UN General Assembly.

The thorny issue of Israeli settlement construction on occupied Palestinian land was likely to top the agenda of talks both in Jerusalem and Cairo, with Washington pushing for, and Israel so far resisting, a total freeze.

For months, Washington has been trying to secure Israeli agreement to the settlement freeze while pressing Arab governments for reciprocal concessions to clear the way for a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian talks suspended in late December.

While Israel has agreed to a temporary halt, it has also authorised the construction of hundreds of new homes in advance of the moratorium in a move criticised by the European Union and the United States as well as the Palestinians.



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