U.S. envoy trip to Mideast is back on
The Obama administration said Thursday that its Middle East peace envoy is headed to the region this weekend to resume consultations, a visit that had been postponed earlier in the week over a diplomatic dispute with Israel.
The news of the trip by envoy George J. Mitchell indicated possible progress in talks between U.S. and Israeli officials after a conflict over Israel’s announcement last week of a new housing project in disputed East Jerusalem as Vice President Joe Biden was visiting the country to promote peace talks with Palestinians.
The announcement about Mitchell’s trip followed a phone call Thursday between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Philip Crowley, the chief State Department spokesman, did not provide details.
Clinton had been awaiting Netanyahu’s response to a list of steps she requested that his government take in a lengthy phone call last week.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on its website Thursday that Netanyahu’s office said there was “a real effort by Israel to aid the U.S. administration in renewing negotiations through trust-building measures with the Palestinian Authority.” The measures probably would include removing checkpoints, releasing prisoners and possibly turning over territory, Haaretz reported.
But there was no indication of whether Clinton and Netanyahu discussed the 1,600-unit project proposed for East Jerusalem’s Ramat Shlomo neighborhood.
Crowley also said Clinton would meet with the prime minister next week when he visits Washington to attend the annual convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
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