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United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice waving as she stands with top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat upon her arrival at Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah last week. (AP)
Last update - 17:55 18/11/2007
PA to U.S.: We'll accept nothing less than total settlement freeze
By News Agencies
Tags: settlements, Palestinians 

The Palestinians have told the United States they will accept nothing less than a total freeze in Jewish settlement building ahead of the upcoming peace conference, to be held in Annapolis, Maryland later this month, a Palestinian official said on Saturday.

Western diplomats say Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is under Western and Arab pressure to go beyond the partial freeze he was expected to announce before the U.S.-sponsored conference as a way to bolster Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

The diplomats say Olmert sought to exempt the West Bank's major settlement blocs, which Israel wants to keep under any final peace deal. Washington was cool to that idea, an Israeli source said.
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Israeli government officials say that the U.S. does not accept Israel's position that it can continue some construction in West Bank settlements, and wants Israel to release more Palestinian prisoners than it plans to free before a high-stakes peace conference.

Olmert plans to ask his cabinet on Monday to approve the release of around 400 Palestinian prisoners, short of the 2,000 requested by Abbas.

Aides close to Olmert traveled to Washington last week ahead of the meeting and reported the U.S. positions to the prime minister on Saturday night. Officials who discussed their briefings to the prime minister spoke on condition of anonymity because talks were confidential.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said he sent a letter to the Bush administration on Friday demanding that Israel fully meet its obligations under a long-stalled "road map" peace plan.

The road map peace plan demands a freeze on "all settlement activity", including so-called "natural growth" of existing settlements. It also calls on the Palestinians to rein in militants.

"Enough games. We want to see an end to settlement expansion and natural growth," Erekat said.

He did not make clear what the Palestinians would do if the demand was not met, putting the onus on the United States and other world powers to hold Israel to its road map commitments.

About 270,000 Jewish settlers live among 2.5 million West Bank Palestinians. The World Court has branded all settlements on land captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War as illegal.

Freezing all settlement construction might encourage key Arab states such as Saudi Arabia to attend. The Saudis are expected to take a position after a planned meeting of Arab foreign ministers on November 22, Palestinian officials said.

Palestinian officials said the regional peace conference in Annapolis, Marylandwould begin on November 26. The main session will take place the following day, Israeli officials said.

It is unclear how any future deal would be implemented with the Palestinian territories divided. Hamas Islamists seized the Gaza Strip in June, while Abbas' Fatah faction still dominates the West Bank.

Preparations for the conference have been marred by disputes between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators over a joint document meant to address in general terms "core" issues like borders, and the future of Jerusalem and millions of Palestinian refugees.

Washington has stepped up pressure on both sides to resolve their differences, but U.S. and Israeli officials have stressed that the centerpiece of the conference will be an agreement to resume formal statehood negotiations

Abbas and Olmert are expected to meet on Monday to discuss obstacles in the way of negotiations, said Abbas aide, Yasser Abed Rabbo. Israeli government officials confirmed the meeting would take place.

The two leaders have said they hope to reach an agreement on a Palestinian state before Bush leaves office in January 2009, though Israel insists implementation not begin until the Palestinians dismantle militant groups.

Palestinian negotiators plan to visit Washington next week to try to finalize the details.

It is unclear what impact any announcement from Olmert on settlements would have on the ground. Israel's Defense Ministry has already frozen building permits in order to increase pressure on settlers to leave dozens of outposts that are considered illegal under Israeli law.

Related articles:
  • Gideon Levy: What do you mean when you say no?
  • Israel to freeze settlement construction ahead of summit
  • ANALYSIS: Vow to freeze settlements raises unanswered questions
  • Abbas: Aiming for peace deal before Bush leaves office
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    Dear Mr. Olmert
    An American yeshiva student asks Olmert to heed secular Israelis on J'lem's fate.
    Work stoppage
    Olmert totally freezes new building in all West Bank settlements.
      1.   Total settlement freeze, based on all signed agreements 10:00  |  Yedidya Aharoni 18/11/07
      2.   Two States... 10:01  |  Esther 18/11/07
      3.   Palestinians feel entitled to have it all their way 10:12  |  Sam 18/11/07
      4.   This is not what the road map says 10:18  |  Zev 18/11/07
      5.   First phase of road map must be first 10:30  |  Zev 18/11/07
      6.   Non-stop demands, but what are Arabs willing to give in exchange? 10:31  |  Genuine Tosefta 18/11/07
      7.   STAND UP 10:32  |  sam 18/11/07
      8.   The Philistines Will Stop Building In OUR Land 10:39  |  Yishai Kohen 18/11/07
      9.   Still waiting for the left to demand a total terrorism freeze 10:49  |  Binyamin Dissen 18/11/07
      10.   Peace Possible? 10:50  |  Khaled 18/11/07
      11.   Arabs have no Historical claim to Hebrew land Israelite land 10:53  |  Levi 18/11/07
      12.   Israel will accept nothing less than total kassam/mortar freeze 10:59  |  Joe Sittizen 18/11/07
      13.   Their demand - our demand 11:06  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 18/11/07
      14.   Levi is ridiculous 11:12  |  Erik 18/11/07
      15.   No Land No Peace 11:43  |  Ramzi 18/11/07
      16.   BUILD JEWISH CITIES,NOT SETTLEMENTS. MAKE HEBRON, RAMALLAH JEWISH 11:45  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 18/11/07
      17.   BEFORE OSLO,UN THERE`S THE UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED RULING OF GENESIS 11:52  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 18/11/07
      18.   Abbas is correct, ALL settlements must be frozen 11:58  |  Ivar 18/11/07
      19.   Ramzi: No Peace, Then Naqba For You 12:04  |  Yishai Kohen 18/11/07
      20.   Re Margie #13 12:13  |  Esther 18/11/07
      21.   To voice of moshaiach 12:16  |  Ramzi 18/11/07
      22.   Moschiach 12:19  |  Erik 18/11/07
      23.   News Agencies don`t report accurate news 12:24  |  Israeli 18/11/07
      24.   Book of Gensis is mythology 12:25  |  Biblical scholar 18/11/07
      25.   Most Jews don`t belong to the Middle East. They belong to 12:26  |  Khazari 18/11/07
      26.   Esther of TA regarding Erekat 12:32  |  Yedidya Aharoni 18/11/07
      27.   "Get on with it" says Bush to Olmert 12:35  |  Shimon 18/11/07
      28.   -"Condoleezza Rice waving"- 12:46  |  Scott Hunter 18/11/07
      29.   Esther two wrongs don`t make a right 12:53  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 18/11/07
      30.   Erik 12:56  |  melissa 18/11/07
      31.   NO Arabs belong to Israel. They belong to 13:19  |  Jew 18/11/07
      32.   Murderous pal beggars got a friend in Washington 13:36  |  Absolute Sweden 18/11/07
      33.   "no jews and dogs" policy 13:49  |  Ilan 18/11/07
      34.   we nevr mis an opportunity to miss an opportunity 13:52  |  victor hardman 18/11/07
      35.   ... and Israel is part of Arabia! 13:52  |  Erik 18/11/07
      36.   to #35 -- Look at an atlas 14:43  |  Kobi 18/11/07
      37.   I cannot understand why... 14:52  |  Nemesis 18/11/07
      38.   Making Demands on One Hand,while stealing Pal Land with the other 14:58  |  Abe 18/11/07
      39.   NO to PA freeze Crap 15:00  |  Brod 18/11/07
      40.   Worth repeating, over and over and over again 15:00  |  Clickfool 18/11/07
      41.   For Voice of Moshiach # 17 15:03  |  Clickfool 18/11/07
      42.   THE ROAD MAP IS DEAD. 15:05  |  Ian 18/11/07
      43.   For Biblical Scholar # 24 15:06  |  Clickfool 18/11/07
      44.   #28 scott hunter in the 6th grade of reality 15:11  |  v ictor hardman 18/11/07
      45.   IRRELEVANT CHIT CHAT:PALESTINE IS A PR FANTASY 15:34  |  Pallywood 18/11/07
      46.   Settlements are filled with... 15:50  |  POP 18/11/07
      47.   More posturing for the inevitable folly 16:10  |  Mark Lincoln 18/11/07
      48.   Mark Lincoln 16:44  |  Steve 18/11/07
      49.   Israel to the US: All terror must stop! 17:25  |  Steven 18/11/07
      50.   #43 Clickfool 17:26  |  H 18/11/07
      51.   Clickfool #40 18:30  |  Brod 18/11/07
      52.   Re Tosefta #6 18:30  |  Esther 18/11/07
      53.   Re Margie #29 18:36  |  Esther 18/11/07
      54.   #13 Margie in TA 18:45  |  Boycott 18/11/07
      55.   #29 Margie in TA 19:02  |  Jimmy 18/11/07
      56.   Pals have nothing to demand....They should be thrown out... 19:11  |  US 18/11/07
      57.   #29 Margie finally condones illegal settlement expansion 19:12  |  Labhras 18/11/07
      58.   For #49 Steven - The Terror Canard 19:13  |  chet 18/11/07
      59.   Scott Hunter - Its Israels way or the highway.. Bush and Condi 19:20  |  Ben 18/11/07
      60.   #54 Boycott re: Margie 21:01  |  Tired of the lies 18/11/07
      61.   #60 Tired of the lies 22:49  |  Boycott 18/11/07
      62.   RAMZI#21:GOD SAID TO ABRAHAM,ISHMAEL WILL NOT INHERIT THE LAND))) 08:47  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 19/11/07
      63.   ERIK#22:ABRAHAM IS NOT THE FATHER OF ALL ARABS.ISHMAELITES WERE A 08:57  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 19/11/07
      64.   #24:BIBLE DENIER, GET OUT OF THE HOLYLAND,YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE 09:00  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 19/11/07
      65.   #25KHAZAR:JEWS OF EASTERN EUROPE SACRIFICED LIVES FOR TORAH.ARABS 09:03  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 19/11/07
      66.   #41Clickfool:TIME IS CLOSE THESE NATIONS WILL RECOGNIZE ISRAEL`S 09:19  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 19/11/07
      67.   Total but Temporary Freeze 12:25  |  Meir Gush Etzion 19/11/07
      68.   #61 Boycott 16:12  |  Tired of the lies 19/11/07
      69.   Time for Israel to apologize for colonizing the West Bank 22:16  |  S. Cohen 24/01/08