Peace talks to continue in MidEast Sept. 14

Peace talks opening remarks

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Remarks by President Obama, President Mubarak, His Majesty King Abdullah, Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas Before Working Dinner (September 1, 2010)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed Thursday to keep talking and produce a framework for a permanent peace deal, modest achievements reached amid deep skepticism about success at their first such session in two years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet again on Sept. 14 and 15 in the Middle East, likely at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, with an eye toward forging the outline of a pact. They will also meet roughly every two weeks after that.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who hosted the talks at the State Department, will attend the next round. In a public plea for both sides to compromise in the name of peace, Clinton said the Obama administration has no illusions about reaching a quick breakthrough.

"We've been here before and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," she said. "There undoubtedly will be obstacles and setbacks. Those who oppose the cause of peace will try in every way possible to sabotage this process, as we have already seen this week." She was referring to Palestinian attacks on Israelis in the disputed West Bank on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The United States' special Mideast envoy George Mitchell announced the developments after several hours of talks between Netanyahu and Abbas at which the two leaders pledged to work through the region's deeply ingrained mutual hostility and suspicion to resolve the long-running conflict in a year's time.

Mitchell declined to detail exactly what the framework agreement would include but said it would lay out the main compromises necessary to get to a full peace treaty.