News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Defense Minister Ehud Barak and U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, met Tuesday in New York. Among the topics discussed during the four-hour meeting was Washington’s demand to freeze construction within Judea and Samaria.

Barak and Mitchell then issued a joint statement, which was toned down, so as not to create opposition by the leaders’ respective countries. Barak and Mitchell stated that they "discussed the full range of issues related to Middle East peace and security and the contributions Israelis, Palestinians, their neighbors and the international community should make to this effort. Specifically, their discussions covered a wide range of measures needed to create a climate conducive to peace. These included measures on security and incitement by the Palestinians, steps by Arab states toward normalization with Israel, and, from Israel, actions on access and movement in the West Bank and on settlement activity. The discussions were constructive and will continue soon."

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