At a special meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo, the delegates will mull over the proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinians and the option of moving forward to direct negotiations.

Arab media reports suggest the Arab foreign ministers will support Abbas’ call to refrain from direct negotiations with Israel until further progress is made.

In recent days Abbas has said in a number of interviews that he will not enter direct talks with Israel until he receives assurances concerning a freeze on construction in the settlements and that the borders of the future Palestinian state be based on the June 4, 1967 lines.
 

The U.S. has also called on the Palestinian leader to move to direct negotiations. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the Administration is having “a full court press under way to see if we can move to direct negotiations.”
 

Visiting Israel Wednesday, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos said the only way to achieve peace is for the two sides to discuss the issues directly.
 

EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton, issued a statement Wednesday on behalf of the EU foreign ministers, reiterating the EU’s call for the quick resumption of “direct peace talks leading to a settlement on the basis of a two-state solution, negotiated between the parties within 24 months.”
 

At a joint press conference with his visiting Spanish counterpart, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel would not extend its settlement construction moratorium past its expiration on September 26, nor would it commit to any formulation regarding borders prior to negotiations.

“Our position from the first days of this government was that we must start immediately from day one with direct talks without preconditions, with everything open to discussions and every side putting its agenda and vision on the table. But it is impossible in advance to agree to a specific agenda on the 1967 lines, settlements or refugees,” Lieberman said.