The US offers a carrot to ....Israel

"... The latest moves also suggest the administration may have miscalculated when it assumed that momentum from the talks would keep them going, even if a freeze was not maintained. Both sides appear to have hardened their positions in recent days, though Palestinians have held off on a final decision until a meeting of the Arab League next Wednesday.
Makovsky is a respected analyst who co-authored a book with Dennis Ross, now the White House point man for the Middle East. The account has the imprimatur of an official leak, perhaps to show Israel's supporters that the administration is being supportive of Israeli negotiating needs...."