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Last update - 19:45 30/07/2008
U.S. says settlements are 'problem' as Israel-PA talks shift to Washington
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Iran, Ehud Barak 

The United States called Israeli settlement building "a problem" on Tuesday as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice began fresh talks in her uphill push for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal this year.

The State Department voiced displeasure at Israel's latest plans to build new settlements after Rice met Barak for wide-ranging discussions that also covered Iran and its suspected pursuit of nuclear arms.

Rice later sat down with Ahmed Qureia, the chief Palestinian peace negotiator, ahead of three-way talks with him and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who leads the Israeli negotiating team, on Wednesday afternoon.
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Negotiations have so far produced no tangible progress and there is deep skepticism among Israelis, Palestinians and analysts that U.S. President George W. Bush can meet his goal of reaching a comprehensive peace agreement this year.

Rice said she would work as hard as possible to help the two sides strike a deal this year but said "nobody should underestimate the difficulty of doing that."

"The Middle East is not going to get better without the creation of a Palestinian state to live side by side with Israel in peace, security and democracy," she added at a news conference with Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.

"So the question is if not now, when?" she added.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Rice would strive for a deal this year but, in what seemed an effort to manage expectations, warned of the risks of pushing too hard and said "we'll see how far we get."

The last peace talks under U.S. President Bill Clinton collapsed in 2000, triggering a bloody Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation that the Bush administration clearly does not wish repeated.

In addition to seeking a peace deal, Rice is trying to hold Israel and the Palestinians to the 2003 "road map" plan in which Israel agreed to halt all settlement activity and the Palestinians to crack down on violence against Israelis.

A Defense Ministry committee has approved building 20 housing units in Maskiot, an abandoned military base in the Jordan Valley that is outside the major West Bank settlement blocs that Israel plans to keep under any peace deal.

Qureia described the plan as a sign of Israeli bad faith.

"It's a real violation," Qureia told reporters after meeting Rice. "It is unfortunately a very bad message about (their) intention of reaching an agreement. It's a bad message."

Barak said Israel regarded the construction as justified, but noted that committee's approval was a procedural step and that the project was at an early stage.


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      1.   Not a snowballs chance 23:21  |  Natallie Durson 29/07/08
      2.   Advice from the Americans 23:27  |  Hal 29/07/08
      3.   Israel should attack 00:00  |  Ghandi 30/07/08
      4.   w/in next 30 days iran will be bombed 00:02  |  frenz 30/07/08
      5.   THE MULLAHS ARE ROLLING ON THE FLOOR IN LAUGHTER 00:13  |  BigBadJohn 30/07/08
      6.   Contrarian 01:06  |  Baz Mann 30/07/08
      7.   Israel can`t have it both ways: Occupation and Peace 01:07  |  Ivar 30/07/08
      8.   1, then Bush will be impeached. 01:14  |  Ivar 30/07/08
      9.   NO to Rice. It is Israel`s Land. 02:07  |  Brod 30/07/08
      10.   Although no one can underestimate the evil designs of the Crime 02:09  |  lakshmi 30/07/08
      11.   Yep, they are a problem, Americans are funding them too!! 02:15  |  POP 30/07/08
      12.   # 1 02:36  |  JJ 30/07/08
      13.   frenzy frenz, stop putting out your violent prophesies, will ya? 03:00  |  ivo 30/07/08
      14.   Rice could do it if she wanted. 03:32  |  Maureen Ann 30/07/08
      15.   Settlements a problem? Just noticed, did you? 03:40  |  Che Vive 30/07/08
      16.   NUMBER 1; I HOPE YOU ARE RIGHT AND #3 WHY WOULD BUSH CARE IF HE 03:57  |  glenna 30/07/08
      17.   #4 03:59  |  G. Collins 30/07/08
      18.   "So the question is if not now, when?" 04:18  |  FinanceDoc 30/07/08
      19.   Settlements are no obstacle to peace, as Israel has proven 04:30  |  Dr. L. Brnd 30/07/08
      20.   #1 Frenz the armchair warrior ... 04:36  |  American 30/07/08
      21.   #5 Brod`s gibberish ... 04:38  |  American 30/07/08
      22.   #3 Ivar. Best solution: building our land and NO treaty. 04:44  |  Chaim 30/07/08
      23.   #13 Dr L Brnd - Where is this Israel you mention? 06:15  |  PADDY 30/07/08
      24.   Keep on Dreaming... 06:20  |  David ben Avraham 30/07/08
      25.   #18 - Why not Give it all Back to the Turks? 06:22  |  Young American 30/07/08
      26.   Problem is 06:37  |  Joseph 30/07/08
      27.   CONGRATULATION BUSH, YOU LOST, BABY 06:39  |  indrajaya 30/07/08
      28.   Nurse Rice 07:43  |  Harry 30/07/08
      29.   Out of the darknest and into the light 07:46  |  Steve Beikirch 30/07/08
      30.   One Phone Call would Do It 07:48  |  MB 30/07/08
      31.   America and Israel 08:17  |  American 30/07/08
      32.   "Good faith" deals with Israel don`t work 08:22  |  Natallie Durson 30/07/08
      33.   is condi rice the worst secretary of state ever 09:28  |  victor hardman 30/07/08
      34.   America`s problem is ignoring the Saudi Plan 09:34  |  Ivar 30/07/08
      35.   Rewriting history 11:24  |  Colin Wright 30/07/08
      36.   victor hardman 33 12:24  |  potobac 30/07/08
      37.   # 22 chaim 12:33  |  Axel 30/07/08
      38.   The Palestinians will always find a problem 14:15  |  American Christian 30/07/08
      39.   With or without you 14:28  |  American Christian 30/07/08
      40.   To G Collins 15:06  |  American Christian 30/07/08
      41.   International law. 15:56  |  Jean Van Daem 30/07/08
      42.   THOUSANDS of Jews Maimed & MURDERED for WICKED LIE of Occupation 16:42  |  Linda Rivera 30/07/08
      43.   Jew-HATERS DECEIVE for Expansionist Islam. Already ARAB Pal State 16:44  |  Linda Rivera 30/07/08
      44.   #40 American Christian 16:50  |  Boycott 30/07/08
      45.   No problem with settlements 16:53  |  Johnny Weintraub 30/07/08
      46.   According to Jean Van Daem 17:00  |  American Christian 30/07/08
      47.   american christian 38 17:06  |  potobac 30/07/08
      48.   #45 Johnny Rotten 17:11  |  Advocate4Liberty 30/07/08
      49.   Rice Demonstrates Incompete 17:25  |  C.A. Fulghum 30/07/08
      50.   TO: Linda Rivera 17:33  |  C.A. Fulghum 30/07/08
      51.   To Advocate4Liberty 17:37  |  American Christian 30/07/08
      52.   Linda Rivera #42 #43 Excellent 18:14  |  Brod 30/07/08
      53.   RICE is right The Middle East is NOT going... 20:14  |  Abbashi 30/07/08
      54.   Rice should assert herself "NO MORE Billions IF........ 20:25  |  Goolam Hussein 30/07/08
      55.   Settlement beyond mere `problem`... 20:49  |  Esther 30/07/08
      56.   Oy vey, a "problem" ! 21:14  |  David 30/07/08
      57.   Stop all aid for Israel 21:49  |  US Taxpayer 30/07/08
      58.   American Christian - Stay out of it 21:51  |  Christian American 30/07/08
      59.   to American Christian 23:00  |  justice 30/07/08
      60.   US Taxpayer #56 23:14  |  Brod 30/07/08
      61.   The settlements are going to be a problem to Israel... 00:13  |  Silvienne 31/07/08
      62.   #30, MB... 00:20  |  Silvienne 31/07/08
      63.   #9, Brod, in which case... 00:26  |  Silvienne 31/07/08
      64.   #24, David ben Avraham... 00:38  |  Silvienne