Arab ministers decided Friday to give Washington another month to try to persuade Israel to renew curbs on West Bank settlement construction and keep direct Mideast peace talks alive. The one-month grace period was suggested by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Foreign ministers from the 22-member Arab League slammed the Israeli government, warning of the dangerous consequences of continuing Jewish settlement construction on occupied Arab lands. "We support the Palestinian president's position calling for a complete halt of all settlement activities in order to resume negotiation," the Arab League's deputy Ahmad Bin Helli said after the ministerial meeting.
But the ministers issued another statement agreeing to resume meetings in a month to study alternatives and decide on next steps.
