Source: Peres, Abbas Meet in NYC

Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held talks in New York on the eve of the U.N. General Assembly meeting, a diplomatic source said Monday. The meeting comes only a week after the latest round of Middle East peace talks ended without any progress, and it remained unclear whether Abbas will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is more powerful than the largely ceremonial leader Peres. Palestinian leaders have threatened to leave negotiations unless Israel extends the moratorium on new construction in the West Bank. Peres said despite the impasse, he hoped a solution could be found. Peres separately told reporters he canceled a meeting in New York with Turkish President Abdullah Gul after Gul demanded Peres publicly apologize for the May 31 Israeli raid on an aid flotilla that killed nine Turks.