Mitchell returns in bid to save Israeli-Palestinian talks

            US Middle East envoy George Mitchell returns Tuesday to Israel in a bid to salvage Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Mitchell is slated to meet in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening with Defense Minister Ehud Barak. He has talks scheduled Wednesday with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and other senior officials. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has warned that Israel's decision not to extend the settlement building freeze is endangering the peace process. He told a French radio station during a visit to Paris that the Palestinians demand a moratorium for as long as there are negotiations, because for as long as there are negotiations, there is hope. Abbas said the Palestinians do not want to stop the negotiations, but if settlement building continues, they will be obliged to stop. Abbas added that Prime Minister Netanyahu should understand that peace is more important than settlement building. Abbas said he will not officially respond to Sunday's lapse of the building freeze until he meets with the Palestinian leadership this week and Arab foreign ministers on October 4. A senior Palestinian official told the A-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the Palestinian Authority will pull out of the direct talks with Israel if a building ban is not reimposed by next Monday -- the scheduled date of the Arab League meeting. (14,47)