The U.S. envoy in charge of monitoring Israeli-Palestinian peace process compliance convened his first meeting.
Lt. Gen. William Fraser met with both sides Friday at a Jerusalem hotel. The Palestinian Authority’s recent suspension of peace talks, the violence in the Gaza Strip, and recently announced Israeli settlement expansion plans are on the table.
Representing the Palestinians was Salam Fayyad, the P.A. prime minister. Ehud Barak, the Israeli defense minister, was scheduled to attend but at the last minute sent instead a top ministry official, Amos Gilad.
Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. secretary of state, appointed Fraser late last year after the United States agreed to become the sole arbiter of progress in the peace talks.
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