JERUSALEM — The Obama administration’s special representative to the Middle East, George J. Mitchell, was set to leave Israel on Wednesday without agreement on a settlement freeze. But he was expected to return Friday to press his efforts to pave the way for resumed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
Over the past two days, Mr. Mitchell has held two private meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as talks with Palestinian leaders in the West Bank. Officials here indicated that he had not persuaded the two sides to restart the stalled talks.
He plans to visit other regional centers, including Egypt and Jordan, before returning here, but the full details of his schedule were not immediately made public.
The Obama administration has demanded a halt to all Israeli settlement building in the West Bank, and the Palestinians are insisting on a complete settlement freeze before resuming the negotiations.
Mr. Netanyahu has expressed willingness to reduce settlement activity for a period of several months, but says that up to 3,000 housing units already under construction will be completed, and that building will continue in East Jerusalem without limit.
An Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity following diplomatic protocol said the goal was a “package deal” involving confidence-building measures from all involved parties, including moderate Arab states.
In return for an Israeli settlement building freeze, Mr. Mitchell is trying to get Arab nations to offer gestures like reopening Israeli trade offices in several countries and allowing Israeli planes to use their airspace.
Israeli flexibility — on how long a building freeze would last, for example — may depend on what Mr. Mitchell can deliver, officials said.
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