US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States will no longer be a passive participant in the West Asia peace talks but will push the two sides to deal with core issues without delay. She met the Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak on Friday. She said the negotiations would concentrate on divisive issues such as borders and security, settlements, water, refugees and the future of Jerusalem. More than two dozen former European leaders are urging the European Union to take a stronger stance against Israel on the settlement issue.