Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not expecting a major breakthrough in a meeting this week with the American envoy to the Middle East, though he hopes talks with the Palestinians can resume within two months, a spokesman said on Monday.
Speaking ahead of a European visit during which Netanyahu was scheduled to meet George Mitchell, spokesman Nir Hefetz was quoted as saying by Reuters: "The prime minister expects there to be a certain degree of progress, but no breakthrough is expected."
According to Hefetz, Netanyahu, who will hold talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, will stress that Israel will "attend to the normal needs" of its settlers "alongside a political process that is to be launched in about two months' time".
