Arab League foreign ministers meet in Libya on Friday to hear Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's case for suspending peace talks with Israel until it extends a moratorium on settlement building in the West Bank.
Launched in Washington just five weeks ago, the talks veered into a cul-de-sac on Sept. 26, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Nentayhu refused to extend a halt to construction of Jewish settlements, which he had said would last 10 months.
Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said the Palestinian leader would tell the Arab states that "resuming negotiations requires a full freeze of settlement activities."
"Settlement is an impediment to negotiations and creates an atmosphere in which Israel alone is to be blamed for the obstruction of the political process," he told Reuters.
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."
Netanyahu says it would be tragic if the Palestinian leader, popularly known as Abu Mazen, walks away over an issue essentially irrelevant to the possible outcome of talks -- a peace deal to end 60 years of conflict and create a Palestinian state.
"There will be a lot of ball-throwing between Abu Mazen and the Arab League. He will toss the ball in the Arab League's court, saying he's looking for cover," said one Arab diplomat.
"The Arab League will probably issue a general call of support for the peace negotiations but will make it very clear that the specific decision to continue the negotiations falls on Abu Mazen, not on them," he said.
In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had spoken to Abbas on Thursday.
"They discussed the status of negotiations and steps going forward," Crowley said in a tweet message, giving no further detail.
NOT DEAD YET
Jewish settlements on occupied territory are illegal under international law but have been growing in the West Bank for 30 years. U.S. President Barack Obama said last year they must stop.
About 500,000 Jews now live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, occupying land on which the Palestinians hope to found their future state once peace is sealed with Israel.
With the window closing on the process he fostered throughout the year, Obama's special Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, is trying to keep hopes of compromise alive, talking to Abbas, Netanyahu and key Arab leaders.
Media reports say Washington has floated generous proposals in private concerning Israel's security, to persuade Netanyahu to extend his moratorium for 60 days, so far in vain.
The Israeli leader faces a revolt from pro-settler allies in his rightwing coalition if he bows to Abbas's demand without a convincing case that it is in their interests. Abbas was due to brief 16 foreign ministers of the Arab League's peace process committee, which on July 29 gave him the green light to restart direct talks, after a 20-month hiatus in peace negotiations with Israel following the Gaza war.
No surprises were likely. The committee is expected to back Abbas and refer the decision to the Arab League Council at the level of all Arab foreign ministers, to bless the decision.
On Saturday, Abbas will give a speech to Arab leaders which may reveal how he sees events unfolding if there is no compromise and the negotiating table remains empty.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has warned of "an escalation in violence and terrorism in the region and throughout the world if talks ... collapse."
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