WASHINGTON, Sept 3 (AP/UNB) - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is trying to inject some urgency into Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, warning that the negotiations may be “the last chance for a very long time” for an agreement.
In an unusual joint interview with Israeli and Palestinian television broadcast Friday, Clinton said the rise of Iranian-backed extremist ideology in the Middle East is a major reason why “time is not on the side” of either party’s hopes for peace and security.
The Obama administration wants a peace deal concluded within a year, and both sides pledged Thursday to try to meet that goal in successive rounds of talks. Despite early positive signals from Israeli and Palestinian leaders, hopes for an agreement rest overcoming significant obstacles and decades of suspicion.