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Last update - 16:37 14/09/2009
Israel: Won't accept 'complete freeze' on settlement building
By Jonathan Lis
Tags: Settlements, Israel News 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that there will not be a complete freeze on settlement building and that building in Jerusalem will proceed as usual.

"The Palestinians expect a complete halt to building; it is now clear that this will not happen," Netanyahu said, "Jerusalem is not a settlement and the building [there] will continue as normal."

While speaking to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Knesset, Netanyahu spoke about progress made in regards to the peace process as well as the U.S. demand to freeze building beyond Israel's Green Line.
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Netanyahu told the committee that George Mitchell, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, had requested a complete halt to settlement building.

"We clarified to the U.S. that we would continue building around 2,500 units whose construction had already begun. Two days ago, we authorized 450 additional units. I stated that we would consider reducing the extent of our building," said Netanyahu.

Netanyahu spoke about balancing the desire to participate in the peace process and negotiations with the need to allow Jewish residents in the West Bank to live normal lives.

"The reduction in building will be for a limited time and there is not yet an agreement with the U.S. on the period of time," Netanyahu added.

Netanyahu spoke on the two central principles presented in his June speech at Bar Ilan University: "the recognition of Israel as a Jewish nation and effective demilitarization of a future Palestinian state."

"Since Bar Ilan, these principles have been seeping into international conversations," Netanyahu said, "For example, Benny Morris wrote in the Guardian that settlements are not the big problem. The bigger problem is the demand being placed on the Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. This is a basic condition without which it's impossible to solve this conflict. One of the central things I did was put this topic on the table."

Netanyahu complained "at the same time that we are taking steps to get things started, the other side is making their position more extreme."


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      1.   Smadar, do you understand now my post from a few days ago...??? 14:32  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/09/09
      2.   This is outrageous 14:38  |  Nahman Umani 14/09/09
      3.   no freeze 14:56  |  mark aleshnick 14/09/09
      4.   Too much balance 15:00  |  Realist 14/09/09
      5.   George Orwell rolling in his grave 15:26  |  Naser 14/09/09
      6.   To be expected... 15:32  |  Eric 14/09/09
      7.   Talk, bide time & pray US elects a Rethuglican in 2012. 15:41  |  gg 14/09/09
      8.   bibi and jerusalem 15:50  |  fredyr 14/09/09
      9.   I agree 15:52  |  George 14/09/09
      10.   Complete Freeze 15:53  |  Harold 14/09/09
      11.   Kicking and screaming 15:54  |  WHG 14/09/09
      12.   2 sides 16:02  |  ben 14/09/09
      13.   Take a vote 16:21  |  Dave Duncan 14/09/09
      14.   Israel does not want peace 16:21  |  ana 14/09/09
      15.   Bibi says...... 16:21  |  Johnboy 14/09/09
      16.   Peace ? 16:25  |  Sam Soul 14/09/09
      17.   It`s time for Israel to be suspended from the UN... 16:36  |  Dutch 14/09/09
      18.   No Complete Commitment to Peace 16:39  |  Vladek 14/09/09
      19.   boycott to follow 16:45  |  ptr 14/09/09
      20.   Response to Ben #9 part 1 16:53  |  Naser 14/09/09
      21.   Response to Ben #9 part 2 16:56  |  Naser 14/09/09
      22.   9 - Ben - Does it not strike you as odd 16:57  |  r cummings 14/09/09
      23.   Americans tired of Bibi`s Flip-Flops 17:06  |  Stephen 14/09/09
      24.   It is sad watching the lebenstraum being demolished 17:17  |  Labhras 14/09/09
      25.   :: Israel rejects to engage in peace (again) 17:34  |  Matty Groves 14/09/09
      26.   Extreme Position? 17:34  |  Bill 14/09/09
      27.   Pointing out, yet again, that Bibi has moved the goalposts 17:45  |  Johnboy 14/09/09
      28.   thousands of years of Jewish history... 18:12  |  edgar 14/09/09
      29.   7 gg - Daniel Webster`s Dead 18:31  |  Mark of Lewiston 14/09/09
      30.   to naser! there is a difference 18:13  |  Ben 14/09/09
      31.   Hate and Nonsense 18:28  |  Alan 14/09/09
      32.   Response to Ben #30 18:32  |  Naser 14/09/09
      33.   "MANAHATA" 18:36  |  tiki 14/09/09
      34.   to Cummings. your assuming.... 18:48  |  ben 14/09/09
      35.   The Palestinians never had a country 18:54  |  Norman 14/09/09
      36.   23 There is nothing wrong with flip flopping... 18:58  |  Dutch 14/09/09
      37.   Israel as obstructing peace 18:58  |  david 14/09/09
      38.   #30 Ben 19:02  |  Ice 14/09/09
      39.   To Naser... Concessions 19:12  |  ben 14/09/09
      40.   Occupation more lucrative 19:18  |  An American 14/09/09
      41.   To Ben Toronto - I see that you`re fervently 19:32  |  r cummings 14/09/09
      42.   to ice #38 good will gestures are great... 19:36  |  ben 14/09/09
      43.   complete freeze and toronto film festival 19:48  |  bronxite10 14/09/09
      44.   Settlers should be investing time, energy and innovation 19:56  |  Esther 14/09/09
      45.   Thus said the good Minister Shalom:- 20:01  |  Esther 14/09/09
      46.   #35 Norman == not so fast Norman 20:03  |  Labhras 14/09/09
      47.   The shiksas got it! to ester... 20:20  |  ben 14/09/09
      48.   Esther: Why Do You Never Get It Right? 20:20  |  Yishai Kohen 14/09/09
      49.   Palestinian territories ??? 20:30  |  Freddy 14/09/09
      50.   to r cummings.. simply a fact, not hope... 20:30  |  ben 14/09/09
      51.   Ben - Your GOP Fantasy 21:04  |  Mark of Lewiston 14/09/09
      52.   To bronxite10: You know nothing about Palestinians 21:17  |  peacelover 14/09/09
      53.   Freeze is apartheit and violation of Human Rights 21:26  |  sam 14/09/09
      54.   you will accept the freeze and leave the occupation 21:39  |  american 14/09/09
      55.   The problem is, Yishai #48, that the West Bank is not ours 21:59  |  Esther 14/09/09
      56.   to marky mark good vibrations.... 21:59  |  ben 14/09/09
      57.   ben #47... regret that you ridicule the Negev... 22:26  |  Esther 14/09/09
      58.   Bargains Galore! 22:34  |  truth 14/09/09
      59.   Translation: "You can shove your peace..." 22:48  |  David 14/09/09
      60.   esther in TA 22:51  |  alan 14/09/09
      61.   We`re a long way from Johnboy`s preferred option 23:37  |  Peter Williams 14/09/09
      62.   57 Ben - Keep your Fantasies 23:50  |  Mark of Lewiston 14/09/09
      63.   2 sides. # 12 ben 00:00  |  Ron 15/09/09
      64.   Mark of Lewiston - not if 05:29  |  Mark Lincoln 15/09/09
      65.   Daniel Webster - Mark of Lewiston 05:47  |  Mark Lincoln 15/09/09
      66.   Bibi is anointed 06:41  |  Hope 15/09/09
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