Clinton Leaves For Egypt, Israel In Middle East Peace Push

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leaves today for the Middle East amid continuing U.S. efforts to renew Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Clinton is set to meet on September 14 with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Egypt, followed by further talks in Jerusalem on September 15.

U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to hold talks with Abbas and Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next week.

Obama on September 10 pressed Netanyahu to extend the partial moratorium on new housing construction in the West Bank.

The Israeli prime minister on September 12 agreed to limit construction but would not impose a total freeze.

Abbas and Netanayhu met in Washington on September 3 for their first direct peace talks in nearly two years.

compiled from agency reports