Barak: Settlement halt will lead to renewed PA talks
FM Lieberman: It is up to the Palestinians to decide whether peace negotiations will resume.
By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press Tags: Ehud Barak Israel settlements Israel newsDefense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday that he believed Israel's declaration of a 10-month freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank would lead to a renewal of peace talks with the Palestinians.
But, the former prime minister and army chief cautioned, this would not happen in the coming days.
"I believe the talks will be renewed after the Americans make their proposal. The alternative is diplomatic stagnation that could result in violence," Barak told Israel Radio.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the moratorium at a special news conference on Wednesday, during which he urged the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table.
Also Thursday, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Israel had made a significant gesture in declaring the freeze, and it was now up to the Palestinians to decide whether peace negotiations would resume.
"We've contributed what we could contribute; the Palestinians will make their considerations based on internal considerations that don't need to concern us," Lieberman told Army Radio. "The ball is now in the Palestinian court."
The minister was echoing comments made by Netanyahu shortly after he announced the moratorium. The premier said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas now had "no more excuses" to avoid renewing peace negotiations with Israel.
Lieberman later shrugged off Palestinian dismissal of the decision, saying winning international support was more important.
"The last thing that should interest us is the Palestinians' concern. Before the Palestinian issue, what should interest us is our friends in the world," Avigdor Lieberman told Israel Radio. "We spoke to them and most said 'help us to help you.'"
The Palestinian Authority had swiftly rejected the moratorium as it does not include a building freeze in Jewish neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, the mainly Arab sector of the city they want as the capital of a future state.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday said the onus remained on Netanyahu.
"The prime minister has to choose between peace and colonization, but unfortunately he chose colonization," Abbas told reporters during a visit to Chile.
The Obama administration welcomed the decision Wednesday as a step toward resuming Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement released moments after Netanyahu announced the 10-month freeze.
"Today's announcement by the government of Israel helps move forward toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Clinton said.
'We'll keep building'
Dani Dayan, leader of the West Bank settlers' council, accused Netanyahu of capitulating to American demands and getting nothing in return for his concessions.
He pledged to continue building as much as possible.
"We feel that he is going in a very slippery slope in which he is betraying his own beliefs," he told The Associated Press. "We will do everything in our capacity to keep building, to keep developing our communities, and I am optimistic that we will prevail."
The militant Hamas group, which controls the Gaza Strip, also condemned the partial freeze.
"It's a cosmetic step," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told a local Gaza Web site Thursday. "It aims to restart pointless negotiations ... without any real cost."
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Thursday that the freeze move was insignificant, as current West Bank construction was not included in the moratorium. He said Netanyahu's announcement was aimed more toward appeasing American pressure than truly trying to reconcile with Palestinians.
"At the end of the day Netanyahu needs to make peace with us, the Palestinians, he doesn't need to make peace with Americans," Erekat told Army Radio. "If that is what he wants, that is his business. The last I know, Washington is 6,000 miles from Jerusalem, while Jericho is 67."
The Anti-Defamation League on Thursday hailed the Israeli decision as "a courageous and unprecedented step," saying that it "unquestionably demonstrates Israel's deep and ongoing commitment to reaching a negotiated peace agreement with the Palestinians."
The organization urged the Palestinian Authority in turn "to respond meaningfully to this significant step by Israel, and take their own meaningful action to promote reconciliation, peace and security with Israel."
The Washington-based lobby J Street also welcomed the move, saying in a statement Wednesday that it "shares the Obama administration's hope that today's announcement by the Israeli government on settlement construction will allow a focus in the coming months on establishing a two-state solution and advancing toward comprehensive Israeli-Arab peace."
The group also urged all parties in the Mideast to commit further to the peace process, saying that "Israel, the Palestinians and the broader Arab world will all need to do far more if we are to see real progress toward resolution of the conflict."
|
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. |
| Photo by: (Emile Salman) |
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
KG: "I hope this includes a freeze on ALL building including the rampant illegal Arab building on land in Judea and Samaria." Palestinians in the West Bank are a people under a military occupation, and so they are "protected persons" under the int'l humanitarian laws that pertain to occupations. You, however, are a "citizen of the occupying power", and so you can not claim the status of a "protected person" under those same int'l humanitarian laws. Claiming an equivalency between yourself and the Palestinians is, therefore, beyond chutzpah. Because according to the same laws that protect THEM from having their houses destroyed YOUR neighbourhood should never have been built, because YOUR very presence in this territory is a prohibited act.
he simply can't resist telling everyone that the freeze is NOT a gesture toward peace, but rather one meant to appease the u.s. and others... although i DO believe he uses the term "friends" rather losely.
the first is that the west bank is an occupied territory, and as such, it falls under the jurisdiction of the military and the ministry of defense...which is why barak gave the order to implement the freeze. and the second is because the idf is subservient to the government of israel and is tasked not only with defending israel and its citizens, but also the defense and enforcement of government policy. what it boils down to, is that all the chatter about it not being right to use the idf for settlement/outpost evacuations is essentially wrong...because of the first reason above, the ultimate responsibility for it lies nowhere else BUT the idf.
As a typical American I welcome Mr.Netanyhus courageous move. Its bold,it may not be enough for some and too much for others but, its a move forward none-the-less.
Why is the IDF put into a position of stopping construction? They are called the Israeli Defense Forces not the Israeli Building Enforcers. Why are the Arabs permitted to build allover the country even within the green line without permits?
I hope this includes a freeze on ALL building including the rampant illegal Arab building on land in Judea and Samaria. Lets see our brave soldiers acting against illegal Arab outposts and buildings like they have showed 'success' and gusto in destroying Gush Katif and a host of so-called Tali Sasson illegal posts !!! I would actually prefer for our Jewish Governement to act as a proud and independant body and not a pathetic star on the American flag - and simply say to the world (including our Arab neighbours), that Oslo is dead and that we have decided to freeze the already dead and non-existent peace process.
Let's hear the exact details of what is and what is not going to be halted. We're all too used to the double talking Netanyahu's empty claims. Consider this: to get the cabinet's approval could Netanyahu have gone any further than "less than the bare minimum"? To quote again: "We will not halt existing construction and we will continue to build synagogues, schools, kindergartens and public buildings essential for normal life. We do not put any restrictions on building in our sovereign capital." The smartest thing for the PA to do now is to loudly and repeatedly expose the details of this so-called freeze. Remember - this is not intended to satisfy the Palestinians anyway, but to propagate a false reality to the west. Also - what about house demolitions and the confiscation of land?
"We will not halt existing construction and we will continue to build synagogues, schools, kindergartens and public buildings essential for normal life. We do not put any restrictions on building in our sovereign capital." Bibi "Take that Obama" Netanyahu
Sorry to say, but it seems that the friends of Israel are disappearing a little by little... Mr. Lieberman,just read more international newspapers and the columns and opinions. People do not hate Israel.It would be the same, if you hate your children if they have been "naughty" instead you hate what they have done.
Mr. Netanyahu, all you are doing is reinforcing Israel's already impossibly sleazy image. You can fool some of the people some of the time - Ms Clinton seems to be particularly gullible, JStreet seems to be living on a diet of marshmallow - but some of your co-citizens really resent the damage you are inflicting on your own compatriots.
nothing new here, just reworded "natural growth"
Mr. Barak, you are great lier! There is NO freeze, NO halt of construction. All previously constructions will continue, all new constructions of "public buildings" will be permitted. So, what about "freeze" are you talking? Only so about freezed construction in non-jewish sectors...
Palestinians...always Israels fault! ...always preconditions! all talk, no action,no progress! 'it takes two to tango'.