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Summary
The strong US reaction to Israeli settlement plans is paying off, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday, with Israeli-Palestinian negotiations expected to resume.The chief US diplomat sounded upbeat a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telephoned her to answer US concerns about settlements in east Jerusalem amid one of the worst rows in decades between the two close allies. What I heard from the prime minister in response for the request we made was useful and productive, and we're continuing our discussions with him and his government, Clinton told reporters in Moscow. She spoke just days before officials said she would meet with Netanyahu when he visits Washington for the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the top pro-Israeli lobby. But there was no immediate sign the Israeli leader would score a tete-a-tete with US President Barack Obama. Clinton pointed to the call as one reason behind US Middle East envoy George Mitchell's visit to the region on Sunday.
