(NEWS) Barak: Only Direct Negotiations Will Help

"Indirect “proximity talks” between Israel and the Palestinian Authority will not lead to any breakthroughs, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a meeting Wednesday. Only direct negotiations will allow for a permanent, two-state solution, he said.

The two discussed ways to move quickly from proximity talks to direct talks.

Barak and Clinton also discussed other Middle East issues. Israel is concerned over Lebanon's difficulty in standing up to Hizbullah, Barak said."