US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is pressuring the Israeli government to offer a new package of incentives to entice Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to return to the negotiating table, officials in Jerusalem said Monday evening.
The Americans, according to the officials, fear the stalemate in the peace negotiations is weakening Abbas and hurting his ability to rule the West Bank.
According to US officials, recent polls taken in the West Bank indicate that support for Hamas is growing for the fist time in many years.
Clinton met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak Monday evening. During the meeting, the Israeli premier asked the top US diplomat to share some impressions from her recent visit to Egypt.
Netanyahu stressed the importance of preserving the Israel-Egypt peace treaty.
Officials said Clinton gave them the impression that newly-elected Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is currently focusing on domestic issues.