以色列总理内塔尼亚胡说，他正在为继续和巴勒斯坦人进行直接和谈而努力。内塔尼亚胡星期五在和美国中东特使米切尔本星期第二次会谈开始时发表了这番评论。这位以色列领导人说，他的国家肩负“和平使命”。米切尔试图劝说巴勒斯坦人继续与以色列进行和平会谈，尽管以色列在约旦河西岸的定居点冻结令上星期日已经到期。巴勒斯坦人说，扩建定居点是决定继续和谈与否的一个关键问题。
以色列新闻报导说，内塔尼亚胡拒绝了美国为了劝说他延长冻结令60天而提供的鼓励措施。巴勒斯坦权力机构主席阿巴斯星期四会见了米切尔，他表示他将在下个星期和阿拉伯国家高级官员磋商后决定是否退出直接和谈。
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is making efforts to continue direct peace talks with the Palestinians. Mr. Netanyahu commented Friday at the start of his second meeting this week with U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell. The Israeli leader said his country has a “mission of peace.” Mitchell has been trying to persuade the Palestinians to remain in talks with Israel, although Israel’s moratorium on West Bank settlement construction expired Sunday. Palestinians say settlement expansion is a key issue in determining if they will continue talks.
Israeli news reports say Mr. Netanyahu has rejected a U.S. offer of incentives designed to persuade him to extend the moratorium by 60 days. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who met with Mitchell Thursday, said he will decide whether to quit the talks after consulting senior Arab officials in a meeting next week.