Mitchell meets with Israelis, Palestinians

TEL AVIV, Israel, April 23 (UPI) -- U.S. envoy George Mitchell met in Israel with Defense Minister Ehud Barak Friday to discuss how to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Barak's office said.

Mitchell, in the region for three days, also was to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres Friday, then travel to Ramallah in the West Bank to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to try to restart indirect talks, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Barak's office said he and Mitchell spoke "about renewing talks with the Palestinians," Haaretz said. The two agreed to meet next week in Washington.

Tensions between Israel and the United States rose recently when the Israeli government announced plans to go ahead with housing construction in East Jerusalem. U.S. President Barack Obama called on Israel's leaders to freeze the construction, which is viewed as a roadblock to peace talks.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit is expected to focus on Israeli threats to Arab countries during a visit to Lebanon Saturday, diplomatic sources told Kuwaiti news agency KUNA.

Israeli officials earlier this week were reported as saying Scud missiles were transferred to Hezbollah through an Arab country.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Saad al-Hariri said the comments were "just an excuse to (threaten) Lebanon," KUNA said.

Lebanese newspaper al-Nahar said the Egyptian foreign minister's visit was to emphasize Egypt's desire for Lebanon's political and security stability.