U.S. : Quartet meetings with Israelis,Palestinians "constructive"

The United States insisted on Monday that separate meetings with the Israelis and the Palestinians by envoys of the Quartet mediators were "constructive, " laying emphasis on a process that is not easy. Commenting on the latest meetings that ended earlier in the day in Jerusalem, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said that the emphasis again was on getting the parties back to direct negotiations. "And they discussed the kind of development of proposals that will hopefully lead to those direct talks," he told reporters at a regular press briefing. As the meetings failed again to make any breakthrough like similar ones on Oct. 26, the spokesman said that another follow-up has been scheduled for mid-December. "What's important here is that this is a process," he said. " You know, progress is incremental. I won't argue with that. It's not easy." He added: "But they continue to move forward. Proposals on territory and security were discussed, again, in the strong hopes that this will entice the parties back into direct negotiations." He called the meetings "constructive." The Quartet, which groups the U.S., the European Union, the United Nations and Russia, has been pressing the Israelis and the Palestinians to resume direct negotiations over a two-state solution since Sept. 23, when the Palestinians applied for full membership at the UN Security Council. The group intends the parties to present comprehensive proposals within three months on territory and security, make substantial progress within six months, and reach an overall agreement by the end of 2012. In late Oct., the Palestinian National Authority was admitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a full member, prompting the U.S. and Israel to move respectively to halt financial contributions to the organization and speed up housing construction in Jerusalem and the West Bank. After the latest meetings, the Palestinians reiterated their demand for a halt to Jewish settlement building in East Jerusalem and the West Bank before direct talks can resume.