KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: While awaiting Mr. Clinton's return to the Mideast peace talks in Maryland, the Jewish Sabbath should give negotiators a little brief break today. CNN State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel joins us now to talk about where things stand at this point. Hi, Andrea.</s>ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Well, due to the Jewish Sabbath, the expectation here is that there will be mostly informal talks at Camp David, the delegation now headed by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The key sticking point continues to be the future status of Jerusalem. According to sources, we understand that the Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat has refused to consider an American proposal which was presented by President Clinton to both the Israelis and the Palestinians before he left for that G8 summit. And so the key challenge for President Clinton when he returns will be breaking the deadlock over Jerusalem. So in the meantime, Secretary Albright and her team are trying to narrow differences on other core issues.</s>RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: Serious efforts are under way by the negotiators, led by the leadership, to try to deal with these issues. But nonetheless, it remains very hard going. These -- as we've said before, the issues are tough, and they're really trying to deal with them.</s>KOPPEL: But unless the parties are able to break the impasse over Jerusalem, any progress on other core issues won't matter, because the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak, has already made clear it must be an all-or-nothing deal, Kyra.</s>PHILLIPS: Andrea Koppel, thank you very much.
Middle East Peace Summit: Negotiators Break for Jewish Sabbath