Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said Tuesday that Israel and the Palestinians were making an intensive last push at a critical time to reach a breakthrough in peace talks.
"We are entering a very intensive effort. In a way, it's the last effort this time around to reach a breakthrough in the talks," Barak told Israeli public television.
Barak was speaking a few hours after negotiating teams led by Israel's Acting Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben Ami and senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat left for talks in Washington.
On Monday night Barak met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at his home in Kochav Yair north of Tel Aviv, their first meeting since the Camp David peace summit ended July 25 with no tangible results.
Barak and Arafat both feel time to conclude an agreement is short, as the Israeli parliament is reconvening at the end of October with a threat of bringing Barak's government down and the United States elects a new president in November -- JERUSALEM (AFP)
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