US envoy George Mitchell Thursday stepped up the pace of efforts to save Middle East peace talks launched four weeks ago, saying he was seeking common ground to avert their collapse. Former Senator Mitchell was speaking after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who says he will pull out of the talks unless Israel extends a freeze on new building in Jewish West Bank settlements, which expired this week. “We are continuing our efforts to find common ground between the parties to enable the direct negotiations to continue,” he said. “We think it's important for the Palestinian people, for the people of Israel, and we think it's in the United States' interest and indeed the interests of people around the world that this conflict of long-standing be brought to an end.” Mitchell met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday, saying the United States was “determined more than ever” to achieve Middle East peace. Netanyahu has also urged that the “positive” negotiations he has held with Abbas since direct talks resumed must go on. Direct talks resumed on Sept 2 after a 20-month suspension. Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat told reporters in Ramallah that Mitchell would be going back to see Netanyahu Thursday and would be back to see Abbas the following day. “We are exerting every possible effort in order to ensure to see that the senator succeeds in his mission in maintaining the direct negotiations,” Erekat said. “We are not against direct negotiations. On the contrary we want to see to it that we reach an endgame, end of conflict, a permanent status solution” leading to a Palestinian state side by side with Israel, he added. He again urged Israel to halt all settlement activities. Abbas has said he would hold off on a decision on the fate of the talks until the Arab League can discuss the issue at a meeting in Cairo next week and reach a consensus. The meeting of the League's committee on the peace process had been scheduled for Monday but one Arab League source said it was now postponed until Wednesday. That would give Mitchell a precious two days more to try to bridge the negotiating gap. European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton was due to meet Abbas later Thursday to lend EU support for the continuation of the talks. The European Union is part of the Quartet of Middle East peace mediators. It also includes the United States, Russia and the United Nations. But the United States is seen as the only power capable of bringing pressure to bear on both sides.
