Netanyahu: Israel to reach deal with U.S. on settlements this week
PM says agreement will be reached during Mitchell visit this week; Barak to okay 500 new settlement homes.
By Barak Ravid Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu Israel settlements Israel news West BankPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would likely reach a deal with the United States this week regarding settlement activity in the West Bank.
Netanyahu told Likud ministers that he would finalize a plan with U.S. special Mideast envoy George Mitchell during the latter's visit to the region.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ehud Barak was expected Sunday night to sign partial approval for 500 new housing units to be constructed in the West Bank, and authorize the rest the following morning.
The new units were to be constructed in six settlement blocs, including Har Gilo, Upper Modi'in and Ariel.
Netanyahu announced late last week that he intends to approve the construction of the new housing units in the settlements before the suspension of building takes effect, a declaration that drew criticism from the international community.
The prime minister held talks with several Likud cabinet ministers and Knesset members over the weekend, in an attempt to persuade them to support a freeze on construction in the West Bank settlements.
The security cabinet met on Sunday to continue its preparation for Mitchell's arrival later this week.
Ministers and MKs who spoke with Netanyahu and his associates told Haaretz that the prime minister showed them the final agreement reached with the U.S. administration on suspending settlement construction.
A source in the Prime Minister's Office said Netanyahu did not use the word "moratorium" or "freeze," opting instead to describe the proposed measure as "reducing the scale of construction."
Netanyahu's announcement that he would approve new settlement construction before the suspension of building takes effect drew criticism from the international community.
The European Union and Britain both slammed the declaration and reiterated their calls for a total settlement freeze.
The White House also criticized the announcement saying: "Continued settlement activity is inconsistent with Israel's commitment under the road map."
The White House added that the administration of President Barack Obama "does not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement expansion and we urge that it stop. We are working to create a climate in which negotiations can take place, and such actions make it harder to create such a climate."
In response to a reporter's question, the White House spokesman said that the U.S. had been informed of Netanyahu's intention to proceed with new construction in the West Bank.
State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Mitchell and the Israelis had been having "a very open dialogue" in "very intense discussions." He would not elaborate.
But one U.S. official familiar with Mitchell's meeting last week in New York with Netanyahu envoy Yitzhak Molcho said the Israelis "told Mitchell they were going to [continue construction] and he told them they could expect a sharp response."
Deputy PM: Settlement freeze is 'strategic delay'
Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai called the planned freeze in settlement construction a "strategic delay," implying the move would not be a long-term Israeli policy.
"The postponement in construction is a strategic delay," said Yishai at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. "We won't give up on building in Jerusalem and will still build hundreds of construction units. We are looking ahead, here."
Yishai, who is also the interior minister and the head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, added: "Over the past two decades, the Palestinians violated all the agreements. We don't see Abu Mazen leading toward a peace deal."
The minister was using the nom de guerre of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who said last week that he would not engage in peace talks with Netanyahu unless Israel completely halt settlement construction.
U.S. President Barack Obama has also been pressuring Netanyahu to agree to a settlement freeze; Israeli envoys flew to New York last week to discuss a possible deal on the matter.
National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau, of the rightist Yisrael Beiteinu, stressed his opposition to the proposed move at the meeting Sunday. "We mustn't speak about the freeze at all," he said.
"There is neither political wisdom nor diplomatic wisdom in this. The Bar Ilan speech will just result in the radicalization of the Palestinians. The prime minister didn't speak with me and didn't explain to me the plan, and I don't know exactly what it is."
Landau was referring to Netanyahu's first policy speech delivered in June, in which he supported the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state on the condition that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog, meanwhile, called on the opposition Kadima party and rebels within his own Labor to support Netanyahu in his talks with the United States, Israel Radio reported. But he added that if Netanyahu is only "wasting time," Labor would reach the necessary conclusions.
Settlers to step up protests
Meanwhile, settlers are planning to step up their protests against the construction freeze, irrespective of Netanyahu's announcement of approval for hundreds of new homes in the settlements.
Settler leaders said 500 housing units will be built in places such as Givat Ze'ev, Ma'aleh Adumim and Beitar Ilit, where demand is enormous, and in Gush Etzion.
"The demand is for hundreds of housing units in each of these communities, not just a few hundred in total. The construction will probably take place to the east of the fence," according to Danny Dayan, chairman of the Yesha Council.
"A freeze has enormous political implications which are no less than a catastrophe for the settlement enterprise. Freezing construction in Ma'aleh Adumim, Gush Etzion, Beitar, what are called the 'settlement blocs,' places them clearly on the negotiating table. Why would the state freeze construction in areas that are not open for negotiation? There is nothing that signals to the Arabs that it is possible to restore them to the 1967 border than such a freeze," Dayan said.
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The U.S. administration is totally out of their league when they are dealing with Israeli affairs. Israel is fighting for their existance! The U.S. is fighting for a steady supply of oil out of the region and a president that cannot run his own country. He is trying to ruin Israel,just like he is ruining his country.Israel should ignore him,he will stall them for his own agenda! That is not good for Israel! Obama does not have a clue. Obama has a agenda of SELF.
It will be a sad day for all humanity should the world's greatest power believe the liars at the helm of Israel will keep their word.
Does anyone really think that evacuating our settlements from our historic homeland in Judea and Samaria will bring peace to our region? Our former settlements will become the future launching pads of a barrage of rockets until we evacuate Jerusalem, Haifa, Ashkelon, Ramle, Ashdod...Israelis tired of eternal war and blinded by visions of peace should stroll through the streets of Sderot for a return to Mid-East reality. We will have peace when our enemy respects our military might. Our survival depends on it.
The day before the Israeli election, I visited my cousin in Sderot. She pointed out across the street where a kassam had landed and shot a nail through her window. She and her children responded to the alarm and were in the bomb shelter. No one was injured. Two doors from her home, her neighbor just managed to gather her children into the bomb shelter before a direct hit (www.migvan.org.il/kasam); no one was injured. A skeleton of a car is left rusting on the side of the road with hundreds of holes sprayed form nuts and bolts packaged in a kassam that landed nearby. My cousin's son is now 9 and has known the 15 second race to safety all of his life. At times, he is afraid to go to sleep. The truth is that when the siren sounds, all of Sderot's residents are injured. For the past eight years, over 10,000 rockets have been launched from Gaza into Southern Israel in deadly game of "Iranian Roulette". The IDF should have finished off the terrorists wherever they hid in the places you nam
Gave back what? Have you TOBIA notice that Gazans been bombed to kingdom come, and that very little Foods, Fuels allowed in.? THAT NO MORE building Materials allowed to rebuild DESTROYED SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS,MOSQUES,Govt. Buildings & ROADS. GAZA AIRPORT(sorry long time ago) PORTS (sorry long time ago too)., destroyed and cannot be rebuild.Which could have been some works for the GAZANS instead of acting violently against others. The BORDERS are controlled by Israelis and RAFA by the Egytians, N O T By Gazans and Irs/Egyp. The AIRSPACE by IDF with F16 21,Apaches DRONES. Their S E A by the IDF/MDF/ADF, you name it. and Tobia got the AUDACITY to say that, it had an ECONOMY before but NOT now, of course not if these people cannot sell their goods outside Gaza.
that OCCUPATION and ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS will have to come to a NEGOCIATED END??? or UNILATERAL DECLARATION INDEPENDENCE (UDI) by the Palesrtinians authority.?? Which is which? Next according to President Carter the Palestinians NOW is SERIOUSLY talking about a BINATIONAL STATE, where within twenty years THEY will in MAJORITY, IN THE jEWISH State??? Really the ball is not in Palestinians court but DEFINITELY in that of Israelis, and Pres. OBAMA and the EU. UN.
Israel gave back the Gaza. It had a working economy. Look what the Pal did to it
Utter disregard for previous commitments, violations of agreements, flarantly flaunting it in the face of the US. Time for a strong American response. It is time for the government to say if you choose to act in violation of your agreements then that is your businees but not on our account. Treat Israel like South Africa whn it violation interenation law. Not a penny more to this govenment. Not a cent. That is our right.
ISRAEL DONT WANT PEACE WITH THE PALESTINIANS, THEY WANT THE WHOLE LAND FOR THEMSELVES AND THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN...SAY GOODBYE TO PEACE!!!
This is ridiculous. I support Israel, I support the right of Israel to defend itself, but expanding the settlements will be the destruction of the Jewish state. We are liars and we are inhumane when we insist on expanding them. The Jews of Israel need to speak out if they want to keep their integrity and their homeland.
"....We are working to create a climate in which negotiations can take place, and such actions make it harder to create such a climate."..... LOL, I am afraid the US will wait for that climate until the cows come home ..." The climate will be certainly be a freeze, only it won't be a settlement freeze ! Amused
when the tree has hehen the original owners of the land come back,they will find nice homes to live in,youknow .when what happens to the tree with bad roots,you dont even have roots...someday things will settle and the sun will shine again.
Here in Madrid the whole topic of terrorism is very sensitive indeed. After having been bombed so many times by groups such as the Ultra Communists 'G.R.A.P.O.'. and E.T.A., the Basque Terror Army, we had to endure Arab-Islamic rush hour horror with nearly 200 commuters blown to pieces and hundreds of injured. I personally find the use of 'nom de guerre' as used in this article to be extremely insulting to all those who have suffered at the hands of these evil fiends. Please have the common decency to use the correct name in ENGLISH !! It is 'Terrorist Name'. If anyone has any doubts about this then just think WHY these false names were used in the first place. And please have some respect for the dead !!!!!!!!!!
...to help him save face.. He'll be gone in a couple of years.
Those who think they can buy or politically manipulate themselves into the "promised land",are sadly mistaken no matter how hard they conscientiously provoke war in this radical interpretation of scripture!
If this "deal" goes through, it will mark the end of Obama's credibility for providing an alternative to Bush's disastrous foreign policies. The slide over the slippery slope can be heard from Washington, if Israeli reports are true. Bye bye, Obama, it was a nice daydream while it lasted. Hello war in the Middle East according to the Great Satan in cahoots with the Little Satan, as usual.
It's not Barak who is holding up the return of Shalit... ... can we honestly believe that Hamas will give up a trump card, while Israel is accelerating settler building, and digging deeper into stolen Pal territory...? ... re settlemets on Pal territory, there is no Hamas-versus-Fatah...
... every day that passes with this chit-chat is used by the settlers to steal yet another Pal dunam, securely anchor yet another settlement into place by buidling more and more... who will come and demolish what is being built in this interim...? Obama himself?! they are laughing-up-their-sleeves... ... only G*d himself, or some dreadful unexpected trauma can change the direction of what is going on...
To claim a whole people in the following way, "All of palistinian nature is death and destruction." is bigotry of the tallest order.
Okay, Stephen: Let's assume you're in charge. What does each side do to "make peace" so that Israel can be sure that it will be left alone, a Jewish state, at peace? That's Israel's definition of peace. What do you honestly think that the Arabs' definition of "peace" might be?
So Israel will agree to a freeze for six months -- except for completing the 2500 units already underway and making five hundred new starts. This is just about the pace construction has been occurring at anyway. For example, in all of 2007, 717 new starts were authorized -- that is to say, an average of 359 in each six month period. I think what I love most about Israel is the HONESTY. Israel always does its best to make sure everyone understands exactly what it is doing. Like now. We will have a 'freeze' that will consist of no change at all.
You just don't spit in the face of the leader of the free world and get away with it. It will have its implications. A more generous attitude towards the Palestinian aims&claims is a starter. UNSCR under §7 is a second. Life will be different as of today for the Right wing Government of Israel.
Anyone who before had even the slightest hope that the Israeli government is interested in Peace can now toss that aside. This government does not care whether it is breaking Internationa law, binding UNSC resolutions, commitments under the road map, etc. Their ultimate goals are clear. This is not only an insult to President Obama but a direct challenge to him and the U.S. as well. Israel is very confident that other than a few words of criticism from the U.S. that they will not take any serious actions against them. I hope President Obama will prove me wrong but sadly the Israeli government is probably right that Obama doesn't have the courage to stand up to them.
The Israeli campaign to humiliate Barack Obama in public will not pay off. When Mitchell arrives, he will arrive with an ultimatum. Bibi has made it personal and he will soon understand that he picked a fight with the wrong guy. A total and utter freeze of all settlement activites are requested. The upgrading of the Saudi military and nuclear technology to Egypt will just be the start of things. Closer military ties with the Gulf States will follow and an easing of the pressure on Iran next. The disengagement of US-Israeli special relationship will follow. Then if Netanyahu doesn't get it, 'dual projects' will be put on hold. The Russian will do their part as will the EU, China and the UN. The isolation of Israel will take a couple of years, but it's in the making. Build your 3000 housing projects, I couldn't be happier.
I there is no peace then settlements are good. peace and settlements are red herrings to distract thejews from their security and real interests. There is not itme for these red herrings now.
I guess something wrong with people, and I don't why they chase me all the time, perturb my normal life. Maybe someone just give them wrong information. However, it is very bad for people just wishper in my ear and control me like a machine. It is not a joke but reallity, they don't even think if they have such right to do to another human being. They constantly change my mind, make me could not do anything. And there are more than one group of people could do it on my mind, what happened?
Israel simply intends to keep on doing what it has been doing. It intends to continue taking more and more land, keeping Palestinians walled up and making their lives difficult. After a hundred more years of this Israeli's will have settled nearly all of the West Bank. Israel believes the US and the rest of the world will not take steps sufficient to stop this, and it is not at all clear those steps will be ever be taken.
As Obama's popularity fades in the US, pressure on Israel will drop and things will be back to "normal". Until then, Netanyahu has to keep buying time at the daily-grind machine. He has no plan B for what happens if he runs out of change before Obama loses popularity. As someone famous once said - the Jewish idea of swimming is not drowning.
Hamas' claim that a cease fire is only a tactic for a limited time is weirdly echoed by Yishai's comment that the freeze in building is only a strategic ploy. Same kind of duplicity.Welcome to the middle east, where a word is not a word. So long as both sides proceed in this fashion there can and will be no meaningful negotiations or peace. New building encroaches on the future Palestinian state. Palestinian denial of recognition of Israel denies a reciprocal agreement too. Both sides are wrong, yet again.
The entire world except for the Lukids believe that stopping the settlemnts are important. Not freezing settlements is equivalent to saying we do not want peace. Israel wake up..make peace.
It makes no difference what Netanyahu or anyone else in Israel says, they can only continue with settlement expansions IF the US ALLOWS it. It is our tax dollars they use to build these illegal settlements, that we have allowed for decades. We need to end this nonsense once and for all.
Isreal should never stop building. If USA wants Isreal to give up territory. Do so when the USA Government gives back the land to the original owners...Natiive Americans. Also forgive the terrorist loving president of USA. All of palistinian nature is death and destruction. I will enjoy seeing them in hell.
"The postponement in construction is a strategic delay" Deputy Prime Minster Eli Yishai
I cannot understand how the current Israeli leadership and its multifarious supporters can continue to pursue their settlement agenda. Are they so myopic that they fail to realise that by extending and dispersing Jewish settlers into the heartland of the Arab Palestinian population, they are bringing nearer the day when the Israeli and Palestinian populations will be so inter-meshed that the only possible solution (barring mass expulsions) will be a binational state?
The settlements are still being built because they government are still funding it. Why not stop the funding and then the house will stop being built. If they have no were to live then they will move somewhere else or move back to Israel. Back to the Jewish friendly JEWISH STATE
You are confused. The only mistake Israel is making is accepting to call their citizens "settlers". These people are Jews who have a right to live anywhere they want (especially in Judea and Samaria). Palestinians never had a Country (like Algeria), so therefor Jews are not settling in a foreign land, rather they are settling in Ancient Israel, which might be given to Arabs who call themselves Palestinians in order to make peace.
Jews should be able to live in Palestine just as Muslims and Christians live in Israel. If these people truly love the land (which has no religion) then let them build their homes there. Good for the Palestinian economy Good for Peace Good God, why is nobody talking about this!????
You can built as much settlement as you want you should know that at the end law will apply. The french settler in Algeria represent more than 9%, all of them leave the country and get back to their home in France. I guess soon or later the same will apply to Israel settlement. more than 42 years of occupation is not enough? till when poor Israeli people will continue to pay for this illegal occupation ?
....in front of the whole world. You really don't know what you are doing, do you...???
they all have to do their bit.
Strategically, Israel appears not to want peace.