Abbas, Netanyahu and Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are meeting in New York. The face-to-face is not expected to restart peace talks, however, as Netanyahu has refused to completely halt Israeli settlement construction, a demand Palestinian officials say is crucial for bringing them back to the table. A spokesperson for Abbas says the meeting is aimed at strengthening relationships with the U.S., not finding peace with Israel, and White House officials say they aren’t expecting any breakthroughs.

CBC