CAIRO, September 23 (RIA Novosti) - A U.S.-mediated meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was "ineffectual," a deputy head of the Arab League said on Wednesday.
The meeting, called by U.S. President Barack Obama in a bid to boost Middle East peace efforts, took place on September 22 in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
"Israel's insistence that settlement construction [in the West Bank] must continue was unchanged after the trilateral summit," Mohammad Subeih said.
He also said no agreement had been reached between Israel and the Palestinians concerning the resumption of talks.
"This meeting does not mean the resumption of negotiations with Israel," Subeih said, adding that Abbas had only agreed to take part in the meeting to "give a positive sign" to Obama.
The Arab League deputy head said negotiations would only be possible if Israel agreed to freeze settlement building in Palestinian territories.
The issue of Jewish outposts has become the main obstacle to reviving peace talks with the Palestinians, and a sticking point in relations with the United States, Israel's main strategic ally.
Under the internationally agreed roadmap for Middle East peace, Israel is obliged to freeze all settlement construction activity, and remove unauthorized outposts built since 2001.
The head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, said last week that Arab countries see no reason to normalize relations with Israel while Tel Aviv continues building illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
