Israeli officials express doubts on talks

JERUSALEM, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Officials in Jerusalem say conditions for peace talks have deteriorated despite U.S. attempts to bring Israeli and Palestinian negotiators back to the table.

One diplomatic official said U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell was expected to return to the region later this week to keep "pushing the rock," The Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday.

Officials in Jerusalem cite the end of reconciliation talks between Palestinian Authority and Hamas as one reason why they say conditions for restarting negotiations have gotten worse. Reconciliation talks broke down last week between President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas officials, resulting in Abbas announcing that general elections in the West Bank and Gaza would be Jan. 24.

Israeli leaders also said the potential impact of the Palestinian elections factored into their pessimistic opinion about resuming talks, despite U.S. efforts to bring both sides back to the table, the Post said.

Another sticking point is the demand by Palestinians for a complete settlement freeze in the West Bank before talks can resume, something Israeli officials are unwilling to consider.

Meanwhile, Tayeb Abdel Rahim, a senior aide to Abbas, denied a broadcast report that the Palestinian president was considering resigning. The report indicated Abbas sent messages to U.S. officials, threatening to step down and saying he would not participate in the next Palestinian elections.