Arab League Votes to End Peace Talks

More bad news for the Middle East peace talks. The Arab League, a crucial bloc of regional leaders, has officially voiced their support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ decision to freeze the negotiations. Abbas balked when Israel refused to extend a moratorium on Jewish settlements in the West Bank that expired in September. “The Arabs have supported our stand that there should be a full cessation of settlement activity before going on with negotiations,” a spokesman for Abbas said, adding that the group will reconvene in a month to discuss alternatives. The door is still open, however, if the White House manages to convince Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu to re-think the moratorium.