Ahlul Bayt News Agency ; US president Barack Obama said on Friday he told the Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that it makes sense to extend a moratorium on settlement construction for as long as Middle East talks are" constructive".
The President warned that the approaching expiry of a moratorium on Israeli construction of projects on Palestinian territory, which is due to end on September 26, could threaten the negotiations.
The first round of what so-called Peace talks was resumed last week at a US sponsored summit in Washington, DC.
Speaking at a news conference at the White House Friday, Obama said: "What I've said to Prime Minister Netanyahu is that, given so far the talks are moving forward in a constructive way, it makes sense to extend that moratorium so long as the talks are moving in a constructive way".
"Ultimately the way to solve these problems is for the two sides to agree what's going to be Israel, what's going to be the state of Palestine; and if you can get that agreement, then you can start constructing anything that the people of Israel see fit, in undisputed areas," the US President added.
He also said that had spoken to President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, and urged him to "show the Israeli public that you are serious, and constructive in these talks so that the politics for prime minister Netanyahu, if he were to extend the settlement moratorium, would be a little bit easier".
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