Israelis and Palestinians have resumed high-level talks at a meeting with a top US envoy.
But Israel's defence minister opted to stay away amid mounting US criticism of further settlement construction.
Ehud Barak's office said he was sending an aide to the talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and US Lieutenant General William Fraser.
The meeting, to discuss the implementation of the stalled 2003 peace roadmap, is the first at senior level since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas suspended talks on 2 March to protest an Israeli blitz on Gaza.
Israel has faced particularly harsh criticism over continued construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank, contrary to the roadmap agreements.
Palestinians are also likely to face criticism after eight students were killed by a Palestinian gunman at a religious school in Jerusalem last week.
