Britain, Jordan urge Israeli settlement halt

LONDON (AFP) – British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and King Abdullah II of Jordan called on Israel Tuesday to halt settlement activity on Palestinian land, a spokesman said after talks in London.

"The PM and His Majesty ... expressed concern at the lack of progress and agreed that Israeli settlement activity should be halted," said the Downing Street spokesman.

"They agreed to increase their efforts in support of a just and viable two-state solution, and to ensure that regional and European leaders were engaged to support and galvanize US-led negotiations," he added.

The pair also discussed global economic recovery and Afghanistan, among other issues, he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris on Wednesday, and will receive a strong message that building on occupied land must stop, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said.

Netanyahu insists he has limited new construction, and has called for an immediate return to talks, but Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has said this is impossible and that he will resign if the deadlock continues.