Even the latest approach of Israel has given rise to a new controversy! While its decision of approving a 10- month halt to the construction of new homes in West Bank settlements has been welcomed by the U.S., it, quite naturally, has been rejected by Palestinians. As stated by George Mitchell, the U.S. Middle East peace envoy, the action “falls short of a full settlement freeze but it is more than any Israeli government has done before.”
But Palestine is not ready to conform to this stance of Israel and is skeptical of the entire development. Being dictated by the Palestinian government, its spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh made it clear that the Palestinian Authority “rejects returning to peace talks without the complete cessation of settlement activities in the West Bank and Jerusalem.”
It has to be accepted (there is hardly any other way) that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been facing pressure from the U.S. to stop the progress of all West Bank settlement- building, which the Palestinians have said is a prerequisite for resuming peace talks.
Ministers yesterday approved a 10-month suspension of new residential construction permits and of new homes in the West Bank. However Netanyahu said Israel won’t close down construction in east Jerusalem or stop public buildings in the West Bank for instance synagogues and kindergartens.
“This is not an easy step, it is a painful step, but we are taking it out of broad national security considerations with the goal of renewing negotiations to achieve peace with our neighbors, the Palestinians,” Netanyahu said at a press conference in Jerusalem.
“The ball is now in the Palestinian court,” Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israel Army Radio. “We’ve contributed what we could contribute. The Palestinians will make their own considerations based on internal factors that don’t need to concern us.”
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