Clinton meets Abbas ahead of Jerusalem visit

US secretary of state tells PA president that Israel-Palestinian peace can't be forgotten amid Mideast upheaval.

Clinton with Abbas during 2010 Ramallah visit 370 (R) (photo credit: Fadi Arouri / Reuters)
Clinton with Abbas during 2010 Ramallah visit 370 (R)
(photo credit: Fadi Arouri / Reuters)
PARIS - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday the Palestinian-Israeli conflict should not be forgotten amid wider upheaval in the Middle East.
Washington has made no visible progress toward its goal of reaching an outline peace deal by the end of this year and both sides appear unlikely to make any significant steps toward peace ahead of the US election in November.
Clinton met Abbas after attending an international meeting on Syria, where forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad have sought for more than a year to crush a rebellion against his family's four-decade rule.
The Syrian conflict is the bloodiest of the Arab Spring uprisings that have toppled authoritarian rulers in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen.
Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down in 2010 in a dispute over settlement building in the West Bank.
"In a time of upheaval across the region, we cannot lose sight of the critical importance of resolving this issue," Clinton told reporters.
Clinton is due to travel to Israel later this month.