Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Saturday called on the Palestinian leadership and all those involved in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to take responsibility and not to allow negotiations between the sides to come to an end. Barak's statements followed Palestinian threats on Saturday to leave the peace talks if Israeli building in West Bank settlements were to continue.
"We all must act with discretion and perseverance in order to overcome the obstacles before us and continue negotiations in order to get results," Barak said in an official statement.
Barak added that, through intensive talks, the sides could find a compromise within a week that would ensure continued negotiations.
