( CNN ) -- Arab nations meeting in Libya said they will support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ' decision to refrain from direct peace talks unless Israel stops settlement construction . `` Restarting negotiations is conditional to the complete stop of settlement building on occupied Palestinian land , including East Jerusalem , '' according to a statement issued Friday from the Arab League Ministerial Committee on the Arab Peace Initiative . `` The Israeli government is responsible for halting the direct negotiations ... as a result of its continued unlawful settlement policy . '' The Israeli prime minister 's office had no immediate comment on the developments in Libya . The statement supported U.S. peacemaking efforts and President Barack Obama 's speech at the U.N. General Assembly last month regarding Palestinian rights . It also called for a `` U.S. recognition of an independent Palestinian state with pre-June 4 , 1967 , borders and east Jerusalem as its capital . '' The statement also said there wo n't be `` real peace with Israel '' unless the Jewish state withdraws from occupied Arab lands , including Syria 's occupied Golan and Palestinian territory . The statement said the international community should `` take necessary steps '' to end Israel 's blockade of Gaza and it called for ending political differences among Palestinians . The peace initiative committee comprises the foreign ministers of Jordan , Bahrain , Tunisia , Algeria , Saudi Arabia , Sudan , Syria , the Palestinian Authority , Lebanon , Egypt , Morocco , Yemen , United Arab Emirates , Oman and Qatar . Nabil Shaath , an adviser to Abbas , told CNN on Friday that all the efforts should be focused on settlement activities and that the United States should pressure Israel to halt all the settlement activities . He also said Abbas will be delivering an important speech during the Arab League summit this weekend . The United States had been scrambling to find a way to save the recently started direct Middle East peace talks ahead of the Arab League meeting in Libya this weekend . U.S. , Israeli , Palestinian and Arab sources say intensive negotiations continue between the United States and Israel to find a formula on Israel 's construction of new settlements that will keep Abbas at the talks . Sources said the Obama administration has floated a possible set of assurances the United States could offer if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would agree to extend a freeze on new settlements . CNN 's Amir Ahmed and Kevin Flower contributed to this report .
Arab nations : Talks are contingent on halt to settlement building . U.S. is trying to salvage direct peace talks between Israel , Palestinians . Palestinians want U.S. to pressure Israel over settlements .