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US Envoy in Fresh Mideast Peace Mission | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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JERUSALEM (AFP) – US envoy George Mitchell arrived in Israel on Sunday in a fresh bid to try to relaunch the stalled Middle East peace process, the US embassy announced.

Mitchell was due to hold talks later in the day with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli officials said.

On Monday he travels to Jordan to meet with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, Palestinian sources said.

The visit comes as the peace process has been thrown into disarray after Israel insisted it will go ahead with the construction of new homes for Jewish settlers in east Jerusalem, in a move that has enraged Washington.

Last week Mitchell postponed a visit to Jerusalem after Israel announced plans to build 1,600 new homes for in Arab east Jerusalem during a landmark visit by US Vice President Joe Biden.

The announcement also infuriated the Palestinians as it came after they had agreed to resume indirect peace talks with Israel that have been frozen since December 2008.