Arabs give Mideast peace talks a few weeks to restart

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa talks during the opening session of the Arab Foreign Ministers meeting at Arab League headquarters in Cairo, September 16, 2010.

SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) - Arab states will discuss alternatives to direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians which have halted over the issue of Jewish settlements, a Palestinian spokesman said on Friday.

Meeting in the Libyan town of Sirte, Arab League foreign ministers endorsed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's refusal to continue the talks unless Israel extends its halt on settlement building in occupied territory.

But they clearly want to keep some form of talks going if possible and not to be blamed for the collapse of the process.

"The Arab follow-up committee will convene another meeting in coming few weeks to study the alternatives and the ideas that were presented by the president," Nabil Abu Rdainah told Reuters.

He did not elaborate on any alternatives aired by Abbas at the closed-door meeting. But he denied reports there had been a recommendation to go back to indirect talks and to give Washington a one-month deadline to resolve the deadlock.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, who chaired the meeting, told reporters: "The committee endorses the decision of President Abbas to stop the talks."

"It urges the American side to pursue its efforts to prepare adequate grounds and circumstances to resume the peace process and put this peace process back on the right track, including stopping settlements," he said.

The committee will meet within one month to study alternatives proposed by Abbas, he said.

At Washington's urging, Arab foreign ministers are seeking ways to avert the collapse of the process launched by the U.S. President Barack Obama just five weeks ago.

"There are no talks at the moment because the position of the Israelis is very, very negative. They are not cooperating in the negotiations," Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said earlier on Friday before ministers heard from Abbas.

He made clear the committee would not be telling the Palestinian president what to do next, but listening.

Abu Rdainah earlier said Abbas told U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by telephone on Thursday that Israel must fully stop settlement activities so the peace process can succeed.

"The Americans told us that they are continuing with their efforts with Israeli government. We are waiting to see the result of these efforts," he added.

SHORT PATH TO DEADLOCK

Launched in Washington on Sept. 2, the talks veered into a dead end on Sept. 26 when Netanyahu refused to extend the 10-month halt to settlements he announced last November.

Abbas has said he wants to go on negotiating but cannot unless the building of new homes for Jewish settlers is frozen for "three to four months more to give peace a chance".

There was no comment on the Arab League summit from Israel as the sabbath closed down official business for the weekend.

Netanyahu on Thursday accused the Palestinians of breaking promises by "putting forth preconditions" on a total halt to settlement building from the start of the talks.

Netanyahu has described three meetings with Abbas so far -- in Washington, the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, and Jerusalem -- as positive and urged continuation.

U.S. envoy George Mitchell has also sounded upbeat about the talks and prospects of a Middle East peace deal within one year.

Speaking on Israel Radio, vice prime minister Silvan Shalom said the Palestinians had negotiated with Israel in the past without a freeze on settlement building and could do so again if they were serious.

Palestinians regard settlement expansion as a threat to chances of a viable state on land Israel captured in a 1967 war and a sign of bad faith. The settlements are deemed illegal under international law.

The United States wants the talks to continue and has been trying to find a formula to save the negotiations. Washington is seeking a 60-day extension of the freeze, diplomats said.

Netanyahu heads a coalition dominated by pro-settler parties and would face a revolt if he extended the freeze without bringing all his partners on board.

(Additional reporting by Mohammed Assadi in Ramallah and Ari Rabvinovitch in Jerusalem. Writing by Douglas Hamilton; Editing by Angus MacSwan)