Clinton: U.S. working to jumpstart Israel-PA talks

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that Washington was working toward bringing Israel and the Palestinians into peace negotiations, emphasizing that regardless of external assistance a solution is "up to the two parties."

"We're going to put very specific proposals to Israelis and the Palestinians, we're also reaching out to the governments of the Arab nations on what they expect us to do to create an atmosphere to move forward," Clinton said following talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit in Washington.

"We have a well-thought approach to move forward, but finally it's up to the two parties," she said. "We're working to get the Israelis and the Palestinians into negotiations."

When asked about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to commit to freeze growth in existing West Bank settlements, Clinton said: "The president [Barack Obama] was very clear when Netanyahu was here - not settlements, not outposts, not natural growth expansion," she said.

"We think it is in the best interests of the effort that we are engaged in that settlement expansion cease. That is our position, that is what we have communicated very clearly not only to the Israelis but to the Palestinians and others and we intend to press that point," she added.

"Natural growth" is a term used by Israelis to describe construction inside existing settlements to meet the needs of growing settler families. Outposts are smaller settlements, often just a group of trailers inhabited by a few dozen people, that were built without Israeli government authorization. Netanyahu has said natural growth will continue.

Clinton thanked the Egyptian foreign minister for Cairo's role of Egypt in promoting peace in the Middle East and attempting to bridge the differences between the warring sides.

"We're fully committed to the comprehensive peace in the Middle East and the two-state solution, and we rely on Egypt," she said

Aboul Gheit told reporters at the news conference that Cairo would continue to work toward a two-state solution and said success could only be achieved with "decisive" action.

"Arab countries [must] show support and understanding [for] negotiations that will lead to the emergence of a Palestinian state as soon as possible," he said. "If it won't happen, the situation will worsen not only in the region, we will all be witnessing very difficult situation. Let's act decisively now, not tomorrow."

"In the last two days we have met American senior members of the [Obama] administration," he said. I think they are very much different than the Bush administration, I won't say it's good or bad, but it's different," Aboul Gheit added.

"They are showing their concerns but they also listen, and it's very important."

"The Middle East is looking forward to the action on your part to bring the two-state solution. We have to keep working together, and we will be doing our part of the job and we hope the job will be well done."

Meanwhile, U.S. special Mideast envoy George Mitchell met Tuesday in London with senior Israeli officials, as part of ongoing consultations with Israel as agreed upon as a follow-up to Netanyahu's visit to Washington earlier this month.