Israeli Prime
Minister Hopeful Of Peace Talks
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is hopeful of a
compromise on the row over Jerusalem settlements after talks in
Washington.
Mr Netanyahu met President Barack Obama and held last-minute
talks with Mid-East envoy George Mitchell.
The Row
The row over Israel's
plans for homes in occupied East Jerusalem has caused one of the
worst crises in US-Israeli ties for decades.
The White House had reportedly been trying to persuade Mr
Netanyahu to commit to several trust-building measures to revive
hopes for indirect "proximity talks" between Israel and the
Palestinians.
The Palestinians pulled out of moves towards talks two weeks
ago, after Israel unveiled plans to build one thousand six
hundred homes in the East Jerusalem settlement of Ramat Shlomo.
The project was approved during a visit by US Vice-President Joe
Biden - a move which Washington initially branded an insult.
BBC/Williams/Qasim
