Washington: US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton said on Tuesday the United States seeks to ensure the "full
commitment" of both Israel and the Palestinians toward
reviving peace talks.
Clinton also told reporters "I don't buy that" when asked
whether she thought US-Israeli ties had hit a 35-year low
since Israel announced last week that it would build new homes
in east Jerusalem -- a move that has threatened US-brokered
indirect talks.
"We are committed to the resumption of negotiations
between the parties," Clinton said during a press conference
with Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin.
"We think that (envoy) George Mitchell's legendary
patience will win the day as the process gets started again
because there is just too much at stake for both the
Palestinians and Israelis," the chief US diplomat said.
"But our goal now is to make sure that we have the full
commitment from both our Israeli and the Palestinian partners
to this effort," she said.
A US official said to a news agency in Jerusalem that Mitchell, who
had been scheduled to return to the region to advance
newly-agreed indirect talks, postponed a visit to Israel
today, as the row between the two close allies continues.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 00:20