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Last update - 00:00 18/11/2008
Palestinian PM: Settlement building will destroy peace process
By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel News, Salam Fayyad 

Palestinian Prime Minister and Finance Minister Salam Fayyad called on the international community to up the pressure on Israel to suspend all construction in the settlements and implied that the Palestinian Authority could apply to the International Court of Justice in this regard, adopting the example of the separation fence.

In an interview with Haaretz Monday, Fayyad warned that Israel's refusal to cease construction in the settlements immediately would spell the end of the Palestine Liberation Organization's negotiations with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. He said he was amazed that instead of working toward halting the construction, Livni on Sunday protested to her British counterpart, David Miliband, about London's decision to tighten restrictions on importing goods produced in the settlements.

Fayyad praised the British decision and said he recently appealed to the European Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to stop publishing tenders for new residential construction in the West Bank. Fayyad praised the fact that many European states no longer shy away from defining the settlements as "illegal," and not as merely "unhelpful."
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He demanded an immediate end to construction in the settlements for the duration of the peace process, saying that no other actions were as destructive to the negotiations. Fayyad said the speed of construction had picked up since last November's Annapolis conference. He also said that at every meeting with Palestinian citizens, he is always asked about the settlements first. He argued that continued Jewish construction in the territories undermines the Palestinians' faith in the PA and in the peace process, even more so than the Israeli roadblocks and military operations.

Fayyad said he was disappointed that the settlements issue in general and the danger that continued construction activities would damage Israel's relations with the EU in particular is not high up on the agenda of Israel's upcoming election campaign.

Commenting on the "economic peace" plan proposed by Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu, Fayyad said that irrespective of who was behind the idea, it was both naive and unfounded. Fayyad said the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was no economic conflict that requires an economic solution. Rather, he said, it is a political conflict that requires a political solution.

"Even though I am an economist by profession and I appreciate the importance of the economy very much, the solution is not to be found in money or in industrial zones," Fayyad stressed, adding that, "I am interested not in redefining the occupation but in ending the occupation."

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      1.   Courage, strength, and timing 04:26  |  Shtarka 18/11/08
      2.   Katyushas on Ashkelon do not destroy the peace process. 05:31  |  Good Cop / Bad Cop 18/11/08
      3.   Shema Yisrael, haKol Shalom ... 05:42  |  Morris Valentine 18/11/08
      4.   Let them build 05:59  |  motti 18/11/08
      5.   Settlements and peace. 06:20  |  Dudka 18/11/08
      6.   the only peace process is PIECE for more bombs!keep building and 06:27  |  glenna 18/11/08
      7.   3 1 shtarka 06:54  |  dan 18/11/08
      8.   31 shtarkd 06:56  |  dan 18/11/08
      9.   no,it`s affecting his PIECE process;that`s what abbas can`t stand 07:33  |  glenna 18/11/08
      10.   i see construction is the problem 08:07  |  vik 18/11/08
      11.   #2 No, Dudka, he isn`t 08:14  |  Johnboy 18/11/08
      12.   Pals want Jew-free binational state 08:18  |  Sam 18/11/08
      13.   Fayyad: Settlement construction will destroy peace process 08:22  |  martin list, m.d. 18/11/08
      14.   its time the arabs got some sane negotiators ! 08:47  |  victor hardman 18/11/08
      15.   Resettlement. 08:49  |  Jean Van Daem 18/11/08
      16.   About rights and legitimacy. 08:51  |  Jean Van Daem 18/11/08
      17.   Settlement construction will destroy the peace process? 08:57  |  Natallie Durson 18/11/08
      18.   What peace process? 08:57  |  David G 18/11/08
      19.   The peace will destroy the settlements 08:59  |  Zev 18/11/08
      20.   Well said Johnboy #5 09:01  |  Northern 18/11/08
      21.   WHAT PEACE PROCESS 09:02  |  MARCO 18/11/08
      22.   Fayyad, your party built the wall 09:14  |  Ivan 18/11/08
      23.   UN Charter authorizes the settlements 09:28  |  idov 18/11/08
      24.   What peace process? 09:40  |  Rina 18/11/08
      25.   Reality and wishes 09:46  |  Lucy 18/11/08
      26.   9 Not a Dime, Jean 09:47  |  Mark of Lewiston 18/11/08
      27.   JOHNBOY.The govt of Palestine regards all Israel as settlements 09:49  |  PETER SM 18/11/08
      28.   Just give the Pals Israeli citizenship and get it over with. 11:48  |  Michael 18/11/08
      29.   Piss Process 12:23  |  Steve 18/11/08
      30.   Lucy the ignorant 12:50  |  x-ray 18/11/08
      31.   IRAN CAN REVERSE THE PROCESS 12:51  |  indrajaya 18/11/08
      32.   Well, Israel Did Agree To The Roadmap 14:21  |  Jeff Northridge 18/11/08
      33.   #9 Jean van Daem 15:09  |  Said 18/11/08
      34.   The real peace process won`t be so peaceful 15:13  |  Natallie Durson 18/11/08
      35.   Bubka #2 15:17  |  Roo 18/11/08
      36.   #14 Peter SM ..Back to the blackboard to Johnboy. 15:37  |  Kathy 18/11/08
      37.   What peace process? 16:02  |  peter 18/11/08
      38.   Reply to Jean Van Daem (Post No. 10) 16:39  |  Johnny Weintraub 18/11/08
      39.   Good 16:48  |  Bob 18/11/08
      40.   The charters mean NO PEACE PROCESS 16:57  |  x-ray 18/11/08
      41.   New Building 17:53  |  Brad 18/11/08
      42.   One Can Only Hope 17:59  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/11/08
      43.   Dudka and his propaganda message worn thin 18:04  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/11/08
      44.   The most bleeding obvious statement this week 19:19  |  O-Dog 18/11/08
      45.   Settlements 19:25  |  Don 18/11/08
      46.   NO RECOGNITION, THEN NO NOTHING! NO PEACE PROCESS! 19:44  |  dav zee 18/11/08
      47.   There is no peace process. Only Oslo Psychosis 20:01  |  Yacov 18/11/08
      48.   For once Arb Fayyad is correct 20:04  |  Genuine Tosefta 18/11/08
      49.   #8 Victor paul harris what is a sane negotiator 20:16  |  Labhras 18/11/08
      50.   Willingness to sacrifice 20:16  |  Kumar 18/11/08
      51.   Resettlement wont happen 20:17  |  Dave Duncan 18/11/08
      52.   settlements 20:28  |  rm 18/11/08
      53.   Jewish settlements mean construction, Arbs means destruction 21:12  |  Genuine Tosefta 18/11/08
      54.   Two questions (please respond anyone) 21:40  |  Walter 18/11/08
      55.   They have an Arab name for Tel Aviv as well - 21:55  |  x-ray 18/11/08
      56.   Israel has viable state with Arabs in Galil+Negev 22:03  |  Sam 18/11/08
      57.   To Johnboy #5 22:54  |  Allan 18/11/08
      58.   ARAB TERROR & INTRANSIENCE also destroys peace process! 22:59  |  Ben Yeppi 18/11/08
      59.   ALL STOLEN JEWISH LAND & Property Must be Returned to Jews 23:17  |  Linda Rivera 18/11/08
      60.   #14 Wrong on all counts, PETER SM 23:37  |  Johnboy 18/11/08
      61.   30 Sam - Erekat Agrees 00:02  |  Mark of Lewiston 19/11/08
      62.   #29 Allan from london perhaps ????. 00:13  |  Labhras 19/11/08
      63.   #41 Linda Rivera --will you be leaving the ancestral home of the 00:19  |  Labhras 19/11/08
      64.   So does arab terrorism 00:27  |  Dr D 19/11/08
      65.   #36 be glad to answer Walter 00:37  |  Labhras 19/11/08
      66.   To Labhras 00:44  |  Allan 19/11/08
      67.   Y. Sullivan Propaganda 00:46  |  Dudka 19/11/08
      68.   Y. Sullivan 27 should be Y. Sullivan 43 00:52  |  Dudka 19/11/08
      69.   WRONG Johnboy the elected Govt of Palestine is Hamas 00:52  |  PETER SM 19/11/08
      70.   KATHY 00:55  |  PETER SM 19/11/08
      71.   XRAY they have an Arab name for Spain as well 00:57  |  PETER SM 19/11/08
      72.   Peace process? What peace process? 01:07  |  Joe Sittizen 19/11/08
      73.   #57 Pretty simple answers, Allon 01:36  |  Johnboy 19/11/08
      74.   #54 WalterA very Cogent Point..Funny Business isn`t it? 01:53  |  Israeli 19/11/08
      75.   #48 Genuine Tosefta,Yes I agree,for once Arb Fayyad is correct 01:59  |  Israeli 19/11/08
      76.   #63 Labrhas 02:17  |  Walter 19/11/08
      77.   Johnboy #60 liar on all accounts 02:27  |  Gee 19/11/08
      78.   Best Post in this Thread: #41 Peter of Montreal 02:29  |  Jasper 19/11/08
      79.   Correction: Best Post #37, Peter of Montreal 02:30  |  Jasper 19/11/08
      80.   Jackoff Sullivan #43 02:40  |  Elmer Lammi 19/11/08
      81.   A plan for a better life may not be nationalism 02:43  |  Abu Salah 19/11/08
      82.   #69 Wrong, PETER SM. 02:44  |  Johnboy 19/11/08
      83.   #77 Gosh! Gee needs to google up some facts 02:57  |  Johnboy 19/11/08
      84.   Linda Rivera 04:05  |  Grisha.luba 19/11/08
      85.   Isn`t Fayyad a sweetheart? 06:25  |  Fortuna Benmayor 19/11/08
      86.   Sam #12, the Palestinians accepted a 2 state solution 06:31  |  Palestinian Prince 19/11/08
      87.   Said regarding Dudka. Well said 06:36  |  Palestinian Prince 19/11/08
      88.   JOHNBOY Hamas has the majority vote in the Pal.Parliament ! 07:16  |  PETER SM 19/11/08
      89.   Solution: Operation Eurolove 07:47  |  Terminator 19/11/08
      90.   "The West Bank is not Palestine" 08:38  |  Yasir Arafat 19/11/08
      91.   #88 I will try this one more time, PETER SM 08:44  |  Johnboy 19/11/08
      92.   #90 Much as I hate to pronounce your name:Yasir A 16:55  |  Israeli 19/11/08
      93.   # 67 Dudka All Your Posts..Especially to Y.Sully 17:23  |  KATHY 19/11/08
      94.   Settlements or peace 19:40  |  Hermann Kuntz 07/03/09
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