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Last update - 12:57 15/09/2009
Mitchell, Netanyahu fail to agree on settlement halt
By Barak Ravid and Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondents, and Reuters
Tags: united nations, shimon peres 

Israel and the United States failed Tuesday to reach a compromise on the contentious issue of West Bank settlement construction.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for two hours in Jerusalem with U.S. President Barack Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell. The meeting ended with no results.

The prime minister's bureau released a statement to the press describing the sit-down as "good." The two men will resume their discussions in Netanyahu's office Thursday morning.
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The inability to strike a final deal thus forces Mitchell to extend his stay in Israel. The envoy has been engaged in intensive efforts to wrest an Israeli commitment to halt settlement construction in time for next week's United Nations General Assembly meeting.

Washington would like to arrange a tripartite summit meeting between Obama, Netanyahu, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The Palestinians have been adamant in demanding an Israeli settlement freeze as a precondition for the resumption of peace negotiations.


At the start of the meeting, envoy George Mitchell told the premier that he is hopeful the U.S. and Israel can reach agreement on the future of settlement construction in the West Bank.

"We hope to bring this phase of our discussions to early conclusion and to move forward in our common search for a comprehensive peace in the region," Mitchell told reporters at the start of the meeting, indicating he hoped to wrap up a deal.

Understandings between the U.S. and Israel on the issue would pave the way for peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Mitchell told Netanyahu.

In addition, Mitchell said he is hopeful that Netanyahu, Obama, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will jointly meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month.

The Palestinians are demanding a complete freeze on settlement construction as a precondition to peace talks with Israel.

Netanyahu is willing to approve only a partial construction freeze for a period less than the year the Americans are demanding. It is believed that the two sides will compromise on a nine-month hiatus in construction.

Following his meeting with Netanyahu, Mitchell will travel to Ramallah for a meeting with Abbas.

In recent weeks, senior American officials relayed messages to Israel asking that it soften its stance on the settlements and offer the Palestinians an opportunity to retreat from their hardline position on the possibility of a tripartite meeting at the UN.

Netanyahu, who met with the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Sunday, said that a tripartite meeting at the UN is not a certainty.

"Nothing has been agreed regarding a meeting with Abu Mazen," the prime minister told the MKs.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu commented on the impending meeting with Mitchell during a conference with Likud cabinet members. Netanyahu was asked if Israel had agreed to a two-year timeline for negotiations and the prime minister responded that the U.S. administration had undertaken not to spring policy surprises on Jerusalem.

"In any case, I will not agree to enter into talks whose results are defined and known in advance," Netanyahu told his party. "That's what negotiations are for and we are willing to begin right away."

In discussing the talks with the United States on freezing construction in the settlements, Netanyahu stressed that the agreement is only about "cutting down the construction" and said that it was still uncertain how long the restrictions would apply.

Netanyahu said that the agreement includes the continued construction of 2,500 housing units on which work has already begun, and 450 new housing units in the large settlement blocs. Netanyahu also said that public structures will be allowed, including schools, synagogues and more.

The prime minister also blamed the Palestinians for delaying the resumption of negotiations and accused them of "hardening their positions."

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      1.   Does Anyone Believe This?? 02:49  |  Boyd 15/09/09
      2.   Obama`s public diplomacy against ally 03:00  |  Mose 15/09/09
      3.   #2 That`s right, blame it all on Obama. Are you nuts? 03:40  |  J 15/09/09
      4.   New Prime Minister 04:15  |  sechel 15/09/09
      5.   Mose, Abu Mazen took this stand before President Obama`s... 04:52  |  BBSNews 15/09/09
      6.   Saeb Erekat - still attepting a `peace` deal 05:00  |  Jon 15/09/09
      7.   Peres & Erekat: Two walking monuments to failure 05:11  |  peacelover 15/09/09
      8.   Israel has no domestic control over its future... 05:18  |  BBSNews 15/09/09
      9.   Boyd _ It`s Not A lie. When They Take Over The 05:35  |  Eli 15/09/09
      10.   If Mitchell can Talk to Likud & Lieberman 05:44  |  Mark of Lewiston 15/09/09
      11.   glacial movement 05:48  |  peter rouget 15/09/09
      12.   Peres 05:55  |  Brod 15/09/09
      13.   President Peres correct about talks, but WB freeze is required 06:00  |  Smadar 15/09/09
      14.   to Mose... its true! 06:01  |  ben 15/09/09
      15.   Act in good faith now or suffer the consequences. 06:02  |  Joel A. Levitt 15/09/09
      16.   Out Damn Spot 06:19  |  Mark Lincoln 15/09/09
      17.   What DOES Israel want? 06:26  |  Mark Lincoln 15/09/09
      18.   meeting 06:53  |  colin 15/09/09
      19.   He did the same w/ oslo...result will also be the same! 09:18  |  Benny 15/09/09
      20.   Peres meeting with Erekat 09:44  |  fredyr 15/09/09
      21.   freezing diplomacy 09:45  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/09/09
      22.   #10, Mark, just another red herring 09:51  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/09/09
      23.   Shimon Peres, the good Israeli "footsoldier"....... 10:11  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/09/09
      24.   PEACELOVER Arab rejection,a monument to failure to grab all. 10:28  |  PETER SM 15/09/09
      25.   Deal 10:43  |  rm 15/09/09
      26.   Lincoln # 17 10:52  |  sh 15/09/09
      27.   sin causes sin 10:59  |  iletzter 15/09/09
      28.   to Eli. Won indeed 11:00  |  John the American 15/09/09
      29.   # 17 I would fully subscribe to each of Mark Lincoln`s words..... 11:07  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/09/09
      30.   Mark Lincoln-#17-What DO the Palestinians want 11:21  |  Daniel Leopold 15/09/09
      31.   #.15.Joel E Levitt. ...? 11:26  |  Stephen. 15/09/09
      32.   peres is unique.he is able to act in ways other presidents 11:27  |  ivri 15/09/09
      33.   peres was convinced the oslo process was right 11:31  |  yirmi 15/09/09
      34.   Mark Lincoln-#17-What DO the Palestinians want? 11:34  |  Daniel Leopold 15/09/09
      35.   j "are you nuts" 11:36  |  eliyahu 15/09/09
      36.   BBS #8: you don`t know what you`re talking about - 11:39  |  ivo 15/09/09
      37.   bbs news how many casinos do you have on your reservation 11:39  |  wigwam 15/09/09
      38.   saeb erekat is unreliable 11:45  |  abutbul 15/09/09
      39.   No freeze! Peres is wasting his time trying to negotiate 11:50  |  Realist 15/09/09
      40.   What Mitchell Really Meant 11:54  |  Walid 15/09/09
      41.   joel levitt threatens israel and uses his "zionism" 11:54  |  ivri 15/09/09
      42.   Go home Mitchell! Israel and the Arabs do not need you. 11:55  |  Realist 15/09/09
      43.   Settlements 12:08  |  Sam Soul 15/09/09
      44.   turning the clock back, and foward, simultaneously 12:30  |  avrum pesach 15/09/09
      45.   While Israel has the upper hand it will try to get all it can 12:31  |  Bloodyscot 15/09/09
      46.   #25 johnboy, no it has not dawned. 12:37  |  duncan 15/09/09
      47.   Mitchell 12:43  |  fredyr 15/09/09
      48.   Oybama about to fold his tent yet again. 12:51  |  american observer 15/09/09
      49.   Pals encouraged to act like spoiled brats 12:57  |  Absolute Sweden 15/09/09
      50.   It`s not rocket science 13:00  |  Sam 15/09/09
      51.   Since government representatives have been promoting 13:07  |  Esther 15/09/09
      52.   16 - Israel`s masterplan, Part 2 13:15  |  r cummings 15/09/09
      53.   BBSnews: Unless your real name is Running Dear or the like 13:17  |  An Israeli 15/09/09
      54.   Even in the State Department more and more people..... 13:21  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/09/09
      55.   #.23. Never read such nonsense. 13:29  |  Stephen. 15/09/09
      56.   johmboy "mitchell will force israel to stop the settlments" 13:41  |  abutbul 15/09/09
      57.   # 31 Absolute Sweden mentioning "spoiled brats" (LOL).... 13:56  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/09/09
      58.   No smoking please. 14:28  |  Bazmann 15/09/09
      59.   It`s easy if we really want peace, truly want peace 14:38  |  Rachel Rabin 15/09/09
      60.   dino 14:51  |  oz 15/09/09
      61.   Mose 14:51  |  proud american 15/09/09
      62.   failure 15:00  |  oz 15/09/09
      63.   # 17 mark 15:17  |  Axel 15/09/09
      64.   It`s easy if we really want peace, truly want peace 15:23  |  Rachel Rabin 15/09/09
      65.   Sorry Eli #9...historical revisionism won`t fly 15:24  |  Tim 15/09/09
      66.   I agree with Rachel Rabin #52 ! 15:33  |  S 15/09/09
      67.   to mark 17... fully agree just not in jerusalem 15:35  |  ben 15/09/09
      68.   Esther`s argument may be dangerous 15:59  |  Jackie 15/09/09
      69.   # 59 oz, you wanna compare "Meretz" with Stalin and Mao...??? 16:04  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/09/09
      70.   :Process 16:09  |  Dov Ber 15/09/09
      71.   Rachel Rabin of Tel Aviv 16:13  |  Dov Ber 15/09/09
      72.   To Jackie 16:57  |  Sam Soul 15/09/09
      73.   mitchell`s preconditions 17:22  |  bar kochma 15/09/09
      74.   The Mad Panic of Israel 17:24  |  Yaakov Sullivan 15/09/09
      75.   bar kochma on one sidedness 18:03  |  Yaakov Sullivan 15/09/09
      76.   Daniel Leopold - should I quote a settler fanatic? 18:45  |  Mark Lincoln 15/09/09
      77.   Axel - opportunity and thieves 18:52  |  Mark Lincoln 15/09/09
      78.   Ben, the Six Day War 18:58  |  Mark Lincoln 15/09/09
      79.   Mark Lincoln and Israel as "theif" 19:16  |  Yaakov Sullivan 15/09/09
      80.   Mark Lincoln on the Six Day War 19:21  |  Yaakov Sullivan 15/09/09
      81.   Time wasting talk. Sanctions. Boycotts. Cut aid. Move on. 19:55  |  Tcherkessi 15/09/09
      82.   In that case 20:04  |  Chris Linthwaite 15/09/09
      83.   Act in good faith now or suffer the consequences - corrected. 20:59  |  Joel A. Levitt 15/09/09
      84.   Abbass is right, Total Freeze or Binational or U.Independence. 21:10  |  Adamson 15/09/09
      85.   # 31, Stephen, 21:23  |  Joel A. Levitt 15/09/09
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