Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with visiting US special Mideast envoy George Mitchell for three hours. Reports indicate that the prime minister presented a number of ideas towards jumpstarting negotiations with the PA (Palestinian Authority), with the prime minister indicating he hopes PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) will finally signal a willingness to resume diplomatic contact with Israel.

On motzei shabbos, Mitchell met with Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

Mitchell’s visit was reportedly a last-ditch effort to bring the sides back to the negotiating table and if the mission fails, the White House has threatened to take a back seat to Mideast diplomatic efforts.

From Jerusalem, Mitchell, who was in Syria before arriving in the capital, will be making stopovers in Jordan and Egypt, seeking broader-based Arab support for ongoing American efforts.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)