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Last update - 11:17 19/07/2009
U.S. demand for East Jerusalem building freeze 'surprised' Netanyahu
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel news, East Jerusalem 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he had been "surprised" by a recent U.S. demand that Israel halt a construction project in a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem.

"I was surprised by the U.S. move," the premier told his advisors. "In my conversation with [U.S. President Barack] Obama in Washington, I told him that I could not accept any limitations on our sovereignty in Jerusalem. I told him Jerusalem is not a settlement, and it has nothing to do with discussions on a freeze."


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etanyahu's comments came after both Israel Radio and Army Radio reported that the U.S. State Department summoned Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren over the weekend to advise him that the project, developed by American millionaire Irving Moskowitz, should not go ahead.

As of Sunday evening, the bureau has not received a response from U.S. officials to the report.

"I won't cave in on this matter," Netanyahu pledged Sunday during consultations at his bureau.

The prime minister added: "During my previous tenure I built thousands of housing units in the [East] Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa, and I went against the world. Therefore, it is clear that in the present situation I will not cave in, all the more so since this is a matter of 20 housing units only."

Netanyahu: Israel rule over Jerusalem not up for discussion

Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem was not a matter up for discussion.

Netanyahu told ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting that Jerusalem is the united capital of Israel and that all citizens are allowed to purchase property in any part of the city they choose.

"Imagine what would happen if someone were to suggest Jews could not live in or purchase [property] in certain neighborhoods in London, New York, Paris or Rome," he said.

"The international community would certainly raise protest. Likewise, we cannot accept such a ruling on East Jerusalem," Netanyahu told ministers.

This is the policy of an open city, he said, and Israel would not accept a stance that counters that civil right.

"Israeli Arabs are not forbidden from buying houses in west Jerusalem and Jews must be granted the same right in the eastern part of the city," he added.

Netanyahu said that he had made this stance clear to U.S. President Barack Obama, declaring that the issue of construction in Jerusalem could not be linked to the discussion on settlements.

Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat denounced the Israeli response, saying Netanyahu understands that a peace agreement is impossible unless East Jerusalem is deemed the Palestinian capital.

Peace and settlement activity are diverging paths that can never meet, he said.

Speaking Sunday in New Delhi, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the administration was trying to reach an agreement with the Israelis on settlements. "The negotiations are intense. They are ongoing," she said.

'U.S. tells Israel to halt East Jerusalem building'

Moskowitz, an influential supporter of Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem, purchased the Shepherd Hotel in 1985 and plans to tear it down and build housing units in its place. The hotel is located near a government compound that includes several government ministries and the national police headquarters.

The approval, granted by the Jerusalem municipality earlier this month, allows for the construction of 20 apartments plus a three-level underground parking lot.

In response, Oren told the State Department that Israeli construction in East Jerusalem was no different than in any other part of the country.

Jerusalem could not be considered along the same lines as settlements, he said, adding that Israel would not accede to this demand.

The Jerusalem municipality issued a statement following the report, saying the purchase was legal and it had acted with full transparency in granting building permits.

A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy had no immediate comment.

PA fears U.S. will let Israel keep up settlement construction

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials said on Saturday they were worried the U.S. administration was close to an interim agreement with Israel on settlement construction.

According to information that has reached the Palestinian Authority, Israel will not completely halt construction in the settlements but will limit it drastically to the point of almost stopping it. In exchange, Arab countries will implement previously discussed concessions - among them, allowing Israeli planes to cross their airspace and opening diplomatic missions.

The PA will discuss this with U.S. special Middle East envoy George Mitchell in Ramallah this week.

Sources in the PA said that "half-solutions" are unacceptable and that Israel must completely stop construction in the settlements.

The Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam reported on Saturday that Mitchell is to inform PA President Mahmoud Abbas by phone that the U.S. administration has been unable to obtain Israel's consent to stop construction completely.

Senior Palestinian officials have been following ambiguous statements made by Clinton, who has hinted that an agreement with Israel is in the offing.

Senior officials say American assent to even limited Israeli construction in the settlements would once again damage the American position as an honest broker in the Middle East. U.S. President Barack Obama told American Jewish leaders last week that his clear position against settlements has strengthened his position as an honest broker with the Arabs.

Over the past few days, Abbas has reiterated concerns over continued construction in the settlements, saying he would not renew negotiations with Israel as long as such construction persisted. However, senior Palestinian officials said that soon after the Obama administration reaches an agreement with Israel and the Arab countries, it intends to renew negotiations on a final status agreement. If the PA refuses to join, as Abbas apparently articulated, it will appear to be obstructing the peace process.

In any case, the PA will probably seek to postpone talks until after the Sixth Fatah Congress and general elections, scheduled for August 4. Sources in the PA said talks between Hamas and Fatah, which were to resume between July 25-28, would probably be postponed until after the Fatah Congress opens in Bethlehem.

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      1.   ISRAEL RULE OVER JERUSALEM 12:03  |  mike 19/07/09
      2.   East Jerusalem is "Occupied territory" 12:15  |  ronnie 19/07/09
      3.   What else can the head of a government like his say? 12:16  |  sh 19/07/09
      4.   Israeli rule 12:24  |  Dr.Joji Cherian 19/07/09
      5.   Obama comes & goes, Jerusalem stays. 12:27  |  Nora Tel Aviv 19/07/09
      6.   Bibi`s housing minister wants Arabs and Jews separate. 13:30  |  Michael 19/07/09
      7.   he is 10000% rigth 13:32  |  rafiq 19/07/09
      8.   You already ban Israeli Arabs! 13:37  |  IsraeliArab 19/07/09
      9.   Huge mistake by Obama! 13:58  |  US CITIZEN 19/07/09
      10.   to Dr.Joji Cherian #3 14:29  |  Dovale 19/07/09
      11.   I wonder how long Barack Hussein Obama 14:35  |  Chris Linthwaite 19/07/09
      12.   Bibi fiddles while Yerushalayim BURNS 14:36  |  Ari ben Yisrael 19/07/09
      13.   to IsraeliArab #7 14:40  |  Dovale 19/07/09
      14.   To #7 14:47  |  B`galil 19/07/09
      15.   #1 14:50  |  Harold 19/07/09
      16.   Israel rule over Jerusalem not up for discussion 15:00  |  Harold 19/07/09
      17.   jerusalem will stay as part of israel 15:01  |  manijeh 19/07/09
      18.   Obamas strategy 15:08  |  Natallie Durson 19/07/09
      19.   # 13 b`galil 15:16  |  Axel 19/07/09
      20.   Israel`s sovereignty is indeed, not up for discussion, and any... 15:22  |  Dalia 19/07/09
      21.   Jerusalem East and West 15:27  |  Miriam 19/07/09
      22.   A dose of their own medicine 15:33  |  Natallie Durson 19/07/09
      23.   Israeli Sovereignty over All of Jerusalem Non-Negotiable 15:34  |  Anthony 19/07/09
      24.   Netanyahu ..Forever the demagogue 15:36  |  Abu Firas Al Qudsi 19/07/09
      25.   both message 7 and 8 are right 15:41  |  paulo2005 19/07/09
      26.   Jerusalem is occupied by the Jewish people. Others are imported t 15:45  |  Dwido 19/07/09
      27.   Jerusalem likely to be shared 16:00  |  WHG 19/07/09
      28.   To Israeli-Arab 16:07  |  IW 19/07/09
      29.   US CITIZEN, Obama knows exactly what he is doing 16:12  |  Mark B. 19/07/09
      30.   Bibi Grandstanding Against an Unmovable Force 16:39  |  Jane 19/07/09
      31.   Jerusalem 16:40  |  Viewer 19/07/09
      32.   Racist Islamic control of temple mount 16:41  |  Great White North 19/07/09
      33.   No Talk of "Dividing" but Sharing 16:43  |  Jane 19/07/09
      34.   Back to the future ... 16:47  |  Morris Valentine 19/07/09
      35.   Jerusalem 17:02  |  Vladislav Sandler 19/07/09
      36.   jerusalem 17:05  |  tommy keogh 19/07/09
      37.   Israel vs US, EU, World 17:08  |  Harold 19/07/09
      38.   espiration date 17:11  |  Max 19/07/09
      39.   peace = takkeeya 17:24  |  jochai 19/07/09
      40.   Oh yes Nathalie. Where do you see that? 17:31  |  arik 19/07/09
      41.   Durson, do something, talk to Obama now! 17:52  |  Israeli citizen 19/07/09
      42.   Get over it, East Jerusalem is Palestinian 17:55  |  david 19/07/09
      43.   US Law and Jerusalem 18:09  |  Mark Kaplan 19/07/09
      44.   Obama knows nothing about history so is doomed to failure 18:13  |  Shepherd 19/07/09
      45.   Nu Bibi, AIPAC, Obama Will Win Attrition Contests 18:22  |  Shaul Ben-Yimini 19/07/09
      46.   Hats off to Israelis, they saw who won the WH and voted for Bibi 18:30  |  Nemesis 19/07/09
      47.   you cann`t be souveraign on occupied Palestinian land 18:39  |  Offended reader 19/07/09
      48.   #18 Natallie 18:40  |  Chris Linthwaite 19/07/09
      49.   Jerusalem non negotiable 18:42  |  DT 19/07/09
      50.   To #42 - Where is Palestine? Where has it been till now? 18:44  |  Dwido 19/07/09
      51.   # 43 mark kaplan 18:52  |  Axel 19/07/09
      52.   lots of wishful thinking... 18:52  |  iyke 19/07/09
      53.   Chris Lithwaite: your linkage may be in white supremacy agenda... 19:07  |  Israeli citizen 19/07/09
      54.   #51Axel 19:18  |  Mark Kaplan 19/07/09
      55.   #53 Israeli Citizen 19:28  |  Chris Linthwaite 19/07/09
      56.   State Department Gone Off the Deep End 19:48  |  Dave 19/07/09
      57.   # 54 mark kaplan 19:55  |  Axel 19/07/09
      58.   Vatican City 19:57  |  Sherlock Holmes 19/07/09
      59.   Obama doesn`t represent the American People 20:11  |  Geraldo 19/07/09
      60.   you better mean it Netanyahu 20:19  |  vik 19/07/09
      61.   Was the Israel Ambassador Summoned to the State Department on Sha 20:31  |  A.J. Myers 19/07/09
      62.   Jerusalem not up for discussion! 20:35  |  alan 19/07/09
      63.   #54 Axel 20:44  |  M Kaplan 19/07/09
      64.   East Jerusalem 20:49  |  Esther Evans 19/07/09
      65.   Netanyahu: Israel rule over Jerusalem not up for discussion 20:53  |  Leslie 19/07/09
      66.   #30, Jane, there is no such thing as an unmovable force 21:03  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/07/09
      67.   Does Bibi understand the word "Occupied"? 21:21  |  Umm Einav 19/07/09
      68.   A lot of fancy words for more land pirating... 21:23  |  Dee 19/07/09
      69.   Benjamin and yahou`s 21:35  |  Anthony Lehal 19/07/09
      70.   Bibi and company prefer war with Jerusalem to peace without it 21:35  |  peaec 19/07/09
      71.   The ever-hardening line 21:40  |  Mark Lincoln 19/07/09
      72.   Jerusalem is Jewish Soil 22:15  |  John 19/07/09
      73.   Cipora #66 I wish Jane`d be right but everything tells me you are 22:16  |  S 19/07/09
      74.   Time for a change in US policy 22:24  |  Bill 19/07/09
      75.   alan 22:28  |  vik 19/07/09
      76.   Netanyahu & Obama 22:28  |  Ralph 19/07/09
      77.   cheers for Netanyahu...stand strong and tall 22:31  |  Connie 19/07/09
      78.   #30 Jane - Share Washington. Jerusalem will stay in Israel`s 22:31  |  Ben 19/07/09
      79.   UN resolutions 22:31  |  Palestinian 19/07/09
      80.   Natallie Durson - Obama will fail... 22:34  |  Ben 19/07/09
      81.   The US Dollar Is Toast 22:46  |  crlman 19/07/09
      82.   Oh Linthwaite (#11), you poor childish man. 22:49  |  flyingdoc57 19/07/09
      83.   to 24 22:53  |  AK 19/07/09
      84.   To Palestinian (# 79). Lame argument 22:57  |  flyingdoc57 19/07/09
      85.   # 63 m kaplan 22:58  |  Axel 19/07/09
      86.   vik in denial 22:58  |  alan 19/07/09
      87.   # 81 crlman 23:02  |  Axel 19/07/09
      88.   "arabs are not natives"; so what 23:03  |  david 19/07/09
      89.   # 72 john 23:05  |  Axel 19/07/09
      90.   It`s about nationality--not Jewishness!!! 23:20  |  Vinson 19/07/09
      91.   Israel has become a festering problem for the world 23:27  |  U.N. Man 19/07/09
      92.   East Jerusalem 23:29  |  Kevin 19/07/09
      93.   2009 Open Colonization - and Nutty Yahoo asks "whats wrong?" 23:36  |  Marc Leb 19/07/09
      94.   answer to #23 23:39  |  flora 19/07/09
      95.   The Holy Torah (Bible) is NOT a real-estate guide 23:39  |  Rachel Rabin 19/07/09
      96.   jerusalem 23:54  |  zoe 19/07/09
      97.   Just stop paying 00:15  |  Phil 20/07/09
      98.   Israel is losing every shred of good will it once had 00:17  |  Labhras 20/07/09
      99.   Netyanhu 00:28  |  J Brumbelow 20/07/09
      100.   Go Ahead With Construction! 00:29  |  Heather Czerniak 20/07/09
      101.   # 82 Your post contains HUGE untruths 00:33  |  jerry 20/07/09
      102.   Jerusalem has lost its charm 00:39  |  golda 20/07/09
      103.   Netanyahu`s Rejection 00:41  |  Frank Speak 20/07/09
      104.   I Can`t Believe It! 00:43  |  Heather Czerniak 20/07/09
      105.   Netanyahu: Israel rule over Jerusalem not up for discussion 01:00  |  BAB 20/07/09
      106.   So-called Palestinians do not exist. 01:03  |  Dave 20/07/09
      107.   Good post, Nora in Tel Aviv # 5 01:03  |  Fortuna Benmayor 20/07/09
      108.   Obama should mind his own business. The State of Israel ISN`T.... 01:04  |  Vittorio 20/07/09
      109.   It has been US policy 01:14  |  David 20/07/09
      110.   Obama and Netanyahu. 01:14  |  sandra chitayat 20/07/09
      111.   Settlers, Here and There 01:16  |  rwr 20/07/09
      112.   Israel Responds 01:17  |  Jonathan 20/07/09
      113.   Obama should worry about his own backyard 01:32  |  cortez barbara 20/07/09
      114.   Tougher on Israel than on Iran 01:44  |  Joe Nemie 20/07/09
      115.   surprise 01:45  |  Jarrod 20/07/09
      116.   20 units 01:49  |  Peter 20/07/09
      117.   Jerusalem:UNDIVIDED Capital of Israel 01:58  |  Joe G 20/07/09
      118.   Doesn`t taking in all East J increase Muslim pop. in Israel? 02:03  |  Samuel Prime 20/07/09
      119.   Cipora and S - We Shall See 02:04  |  Jane 20/07/09
      120.   Doesn`t taking in all East J increase Muslim pop. in Israel? 02:05  |  Samuel Prime 20/07/09
      121.   Ben-I`m Not Advocating Israel Move Out 02:07  |  Jane 20/07/09
      122.   And again ... 02:20  |  Andrew 20/07/09
      123.   E. Jerusalem is Palestine forever! 02:31  |  Zionism 20/07/09
      124.   to build or not to build? 02:39  |  Losmuertos 20/07/09
      125.   Bibi doesn`t get it 02:43  |  Memo 20/07/09
      126.   83 AK 02:47  |  Guardian of stolen 20/07/09
      127.   81 criman from CA!!!!!!! 02:52  |  if the us $ is toast 20/07/09
      128.   ronnie 02:58  |  Michelle 20/07/09
      129.   To A Lehal 03:00  |  utagawa 20/07/09
      130.   Israel`s Refusal should have Consequencies 03:07  |  Bill 20/07/09
      131.   80 Ben 03:07  |  john, Canadian 20/07/09
      132.   At long last we have a Real Israeli as PM and FM - G-d Bless!!!!! 03:11  |  Alfred 20/07/09
      133.   Israeli Arab it`s up to you!! 03:12  |  Michelle 20/07/09
      134.   #16 Harold 03:14  |  Zecharia 20/07/09
      135.   Re #2 and Glasgow belongs to Britain 05:59  |  RME 20/07/09
      136.   Re #41 06:10  |  RME 20/07/09
      137.   Re #4 Whats up Doc --It wont happen son 06:39  |  RME 20/07/09
      138.   Re #11 06:44  |  RME 20/07/09
      139.   Re #7 06:57  |  RME 20/07/09
      140.   Re #77 WELL SAID CONNIE 07:00  |  RME 20/07/09
      141.   #7 rafiq 07:43  |  Miss Beck 20/07/09
      142.   time to go after americans who invest and contribute (2nd try) 09:07  |  eric 20/07/09
      143.   Abu Firas Al Qudsi 10:57  |  Miss Beck 20/07/09
      144.   78 Ben 11:21  |  I react poorly to 20/07/09
      145.   how dare the united states think 17:21  |  ira 20/07/09
      146.   tackle the problem from within 01:06  |  annie 21/07/09
      147.   114: Tougher on Israel - No Mystery. 06:18  |  Len Aaron 23/07/09
      148.   Jerusalem is Abraham`s 15:04  |  isone 25/07/09
      149.   Jerusalem is for Israel not Palestinians 15:10  |  obvious 25/07/09
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