US Resumes Discussion With Palestinians

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are set to meet a second time in New York Saturday, in an effort to prevent the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks from collapsing.  Clinton and Mr. Abbas met Friday.

The Palestinians have threatened to walk out of the talks if Israel does not extend a slowdown on settlement building set to expire Sunday.  Israel has refused to consider the extension but said Friday it is willing to consider a compromise.

A senior U.S. State Department official said that as the administration presses Israel to extend the slowdown, Clinton will urge Mr. Abbas not to make good on his threat to leave the negotiations.

U.S. officials say they are offering ideas to Israeli and Palestinian negotiators on how to break the stalemate about Jewish settlement construction.

Direct negotiations between Mr. Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resumed earlier this month in Washington.  

U.S. President Barack Obama called for international support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process during his Thursday address to the United Nations General Assembly.  He expressed hope for a peace deal in a year's time.