October 31, 2009 Secretary of State Clinton holds talks with Mahmoud Abbas Play video

(NECN/APTV/Palestinian TV) - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is making a new push to get Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table, holding talks on Saturday with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the United Arab Emirates.

Later in Israel she is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Senator George Mitchell, the administration's special envoy on Mideast peace , is also participating in the talks in Abu Dhabi.

Clinton was to make a personal plea for the two sides to resume peace talks even as US officials acknowledged they saw little prospect for an immediate breakthrough.

She arrived in the city in the early hours on Saturday after completing a three-day visit to Pakistan.

Clinton intends to consult with a range of Arab foreign ministers on the Israel-Palestinian stalemate when she attends an international conference in Morocco on Monday and Tuesday.

After her meeting with Abbas in Abu Dhabi, Clinton was headed for Jerusalem for talks that were expected to include not only Netanyahu but also his foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman.