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Last update - 23:28 29/06/2009
U.S. won't rule out compromise on settlement growth
By Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Middle East peace 

The State Department hinted Monday that while the United States is committed to its demand that Israel freeze all construction in West Bank settlements, it will not rule out a future compromise on the matter as peace talks progress.

Both the Palestinians and the Israelis must adhere to obligations made within the road map plan, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said, but time and negotiations would set the tone for future resolutions.

"We look forward to sitting down and talking about what can we do to move this process forward. In order to create this environment that will be conducive to resumptions of the negotiations, both sides need to comply with road map commitments," said Kelly.
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"Freeze on all activity relating to settlements including natural growth is laid out very clearly," he added. "Working out the way to our resolution, I'm not going to say we're not going to compromise; we'll see what happens."

Meanwhile, Israel's UN ambassador said on Monday that the Obama administration has assured Israel it will continue defending Israel at the United Nations despite the allies' dispute over settlements.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has balked at U.S. President Barack Obama's call to freeze settlements in the West Bank, stirring speculation
that Washington could eventually apply diplomatic pressure.

One scenario sees the Americans, who have regularly vetoed UN Security Council resolutions that would have censured Israel, refraining from such active support at the world forum or scaling back Israel's access to U.S. decision-making.

Asked on Channel Ten television whether the veto could be at risk, Shalev said: "We were told explicity [by the Americans] that there are no consultations and no discussions at all within the administration in this direction."

"There is ongoing dialogue between the delegations, between the ambassadors. Today there is also a very good dialogue between myself and [U.S.] Ambassador [Susan] Rice, who is a confidante of President Obama."

Defense Minister Ehud Barak is due to meet Obama's Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, in New York on Tuesday in a bid to bridge the rifts over settlements.

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      1.   "US Support" 22:52  |  Arie 29/06/09
      2.   Look at the big picture 23:00  |  Frank 29/06/09
      3.   compromise for Bibi: the z-axis of non-evil 23:03  |  Shaul Ben-Yimini 29/06/09
      4.   No More Likud Bailouts: Natural Growth Corporate Bonuses 23:07  |  Shaul Ben-Yimini 29/06/09
      5.   no Arie he said there was no such agreement 23:11  |  i believe him 29/06/09
      6.   Of course he will 23:15  |  Jennifer 29/06/09
      7.   Settlements-Israel and OBAMA 23:27  |  john bagoti 29/06/09
      8.   To the same people who slandered him during the campaign 23:35  |  American Voter 29/06/09
      9.   Israel`s UN ambassador is a livni appointee with a 3 year term 23:37  |  Dan 29/06/09
      10.   Arie ben golan it is not an agreement just diplomacy 23:50  |  Labhras 29/06/09
      11.   Dangerous development 00:02  |  Jan Elshout 30/06/09
      12.   "US Support 2" 01:08  |  Roman 30/06/09
      13.   No need to freeze anything 01:08  |  Baruch Gold 30/06/09
      14.   Obama blinks first 01:11  |  David 30/06/09
      15.   Fairly straight foward--freeze all settlements 01:24  |  Apollo 30/06/09
      16.   main benefactors 02:22  |  sam 30/06/09
      17.   Wait till Obama reads the washington post 02:27  |  Labhras 30/06/09
      18.   instead do settlement growth in saudi arabia 02:30  |  arab 30/06/09
      19.   Obama and settlements 02:30  |  Leeguy 30/06/09
      20.   Balance 02:43  |  Matthew Houston 30/06/09
      21.   Denial is not just a river 02:47  |  Mark Lincoln 30/06/09
      22.   total temporary freeze 02:58  |  bronxite10 30/06/09
      23.   Wait till labhras reads the Telegraph 03:03  |  Arie 30/06/09
      24.   response to #8 03:05  |  bronxite10 30/06/09
      25.   What If The Palestinians Don`t Satisfy Their Obligations 03:24  |  Jeff Northridge 30/06/09
      26.   Labhras # 7 You Must Have Been Misinformed 04:35  |  Jeff Northridge 30/06/09
      27.   Well, what did you EXPECT Kelly to say? 06:48  |  Johnboy 30/06/09
      28.   15 Jeff Northridge - Already Done 09:59  |  Mark of Lewiston 30/06/09
      29.   U.S. must cut off all aid to Israel 15:38  |  Ray Gordon 30/06/09
      30.   Compromise 20:37  |  BruceM 30/06/09
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