Source: Israel will freeze settlement construction afterall

Why should Israel help Abbas “save face”? Isn’t that like appeasement. Isn’t a de facto freeze beyond the settlement blocks a concession? Of course it is. By agreeing to this, Netanyahu has effectively drawn a map. The settlement blocs are on our side of the border and the balance of settlements, where we will impose a freeze, are not. Ted Belman

Officials in Jerusalem say that while there will not be a de jure freeze, construction outside of major settlement blocs will be halted ‘It will take a while, but eventually talks will resume’

Attila Somfalvi, YNET NEWS

US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to the Mid-East may have ended without any obvious results, but official sources involved in the preliminary talks said Thursday night that “eventually the negotiations will resume. Israel is expected to quietly freeze construction outside of the major settlement blocs in order to resume bilateral talks.”

A few days ago Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas demanded that Prime Minister Netanyahu present a permanent agreement border outline.

Netanyahu, supported by his senior ministers refused the demand as well as any other demands for Israeli gestures.

Yet a senior official told Ynet that “while there won’t be a de jure freeze, but quietly, quietly – construction outside the major blocs will be halted in order to resume negotiations. Israel will not make an official declaration but the move will be carried out on the sly as part of understandings between Israel and the US.”

Jerusalem says that Kerry is determined to renew talks between the two sides and Netanyahu sees resumption of negotiations as a strategic move.

“It will take a while, but eventually talks will resume. Now they are looking for a solution that will allow Abbas to save face. There is a great deal of American pressure and Netanyahu is very interested in resuming talks following Obama’s visit.”

Nevertheless, On Wednesday night senior officials in Jerusalem who were present during talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel does not intend to present any confidence building measures towards the Palestinians.

The sources claim that the “preliminary demands presented by the Palestinians attest to the fact that they are peace refusniks. We on the other hand are not presenting any pre-conditions, not even recognition of Israel as the national home of the Jewish nation.”

US Secretary of State John Kerry is attempting to renew talks between the two sides but it is not going to be simple.

Possible gestures like releasing prisoners or withdrawal from Area C in order to enable the Palestinian Authority to carry out projects were rejected outright.

“There will be no response to any demand where the purpose (of the demand) is to supply appease the Palestinians and make them come to the table,” an Israeli source noted.

“Ministers are unanimous over the decision of not giving in to any pre-condition. They present conditions in order to make the process of renewing direct talks difficult. There will be no gestures, especially not land withdrawals.”

April 12, 2013 | 14 Comments »

Leave a Reply

14 Comments / 14 Comments

  1. BB claims to reject preconditions that he is now implementing. Who is he trying to fool?
    The other side so far has had demands and only demands. Enough is enough. The UNRWA needs to be dismantled ASAP. The EU is broke and the US congress must impose on the US administration to cut all funds to this monster created and supported by the West.

  2. yamit82 Said:

    Not working out so good according to that plan???

    Its difficult to tell the difference between an orchestrated drama for the street and the real thing. If it doesnt go through then no loss because BB can shrug shoulders to Obama and say”I tried but what can I do?” making erdogan once more look like the clown.
    yamit82 Said:

    BB approved of this rather than sharing the security financial burden with the companies involved.

    did he say why he did this? I understand the desire for wanting complete authority over security control, I assume that any financial burden taken on in one area may result in less burden in another. I am not privy to the whole deal, do you have all the details of the deal?

  3. CuriousAmerican Said:

    ttp://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-two-state-solution-is-dead-and-why-we-should-be-celebrating/

    of most interet tome was the first sentence of this article

    This past week, Robert Serry, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process gave a lecture at Tel Aviv University proclaiming that the possibility for a two-state solution would die in a matter of months, …

    The positon of the person making the statement gives credence to an idea I have been writing for months which first came to my attention with the gaza ceasfire involving Qatar, egypt, MB, Hamas. and appeared to target the iranian hamas link (which was useful to Israel and to the Sunni axis) Then there was the talk of confed which was re-raised from the 80’s. Further was the Qatar visit to PA immediately after faux state declared followed by Jordans abdullah visit. I had the suspicion that there was a grand “deal” involving Israel, the “peace” process , re-establishment of Sunni hegemony and Iran. I felt that the GCC had put the pals on the back burner in order to reestablish sunni hegemony by defanging Irans proxies, cutting Irans link to gaza. I felt that everything since might be a drama for the street. This statement indicates that what is unfolding might have already been decided.
    If I am right I expect to see a weakening of Hezbullah and then a destabilizaton of Iran using the Kurds and Sunni mercenaries. On the pal front I expect a strengthening of the Jordan PA relationship and no progress in talks except for putting some areas in PA control. I get the feeling that neither side seeks progress and that the GCC has put the reins on the Pals through Qatar/Egypt and Jordan/PA. It is possible that the GCC is doing the weakening and Israel and/or US will do the major military if the destabilization is not sufficient. All the players are against the Iranian/shia/axis and the peace process hiatus(or interim arrangement) may be part of facilitating the big picture. Each entity has something they want and perhaps each will get something. The indicators will be whether the mercenaries turn on Israel or move on to Hezbullah, Iraq and Iran. If there is such an arrangement then rhetoric will say the opposite for the street. Here are recent indicators: Kurdish Turkey end of hostilities; rebel/hezbullah battles/ unification of al qaeda syria and Iraq; Sunni/alawi battles in lebanon; Bahrain designation of hezbullah as terrorist; up-ratcheting of Saudi/GCC anti Iranian statements. It is my view that Qatar and saudi are working in harmony diplomatically and logistically in arming and funding the various jihadis and in coordinating with Jordan and Egypt. The US coordinates with GCC, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Egypt.

  4. @ Bernard Ross:

    Your second link by now is old news but it was the primary motivation for BB the cruds apology. Not working out so good according to that plan???

    Get this. Israel is footing the full bill for security of the well heads and pipelines under sea to Israel at a projected cost of between 400-500 million Dollars per year. Israel will thus receive not a cent in profit till 2018. BB approved of this rather than sharing the security financial burden with the companies involved.

  7. @ CuriousAmerican:

    You said on another thread that our commandments do not apply today. Who said? Yeshu? All of the commandments re: conquest of the land are not time constrained but perpetual commandments valid at all times. Cleansing our land of non Jews is a Milchemet Mitzvah an obligatory war and has unique provisions meaning that we must kill all of the inhabitants. Some sages say we can just expel them but that’s because they didn’t have the stomach for the butchery. I can live with that liberal interpretation but they must ALL be removed and that means ALL of them including those who have Israeli citizenship today.

    Do I think BB or other leaders will do it? No but unless we do, we will not have 1 day of peace and will pay a heavy price in the future.

  10. According to the Times of Israel blog

    http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-two-state-solution-is-dead-and-why-we-should-be-celebrating/

    In 1978, Prime Minister Meacham Begin and Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan flew to Washington to meet with President Jimmy Carter and National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. They spoke at length about the future situation of the Palestinians and while many interesting things were discussed, there is one quote by Begin that stands out in specific: “In our self-rule plan, we give the Palestinian Arabs the option of [Israeli] citizenship after five years. They can even choose to vote for our Knesset”. Whether it was due to a wish for greater security or the belief that Jews living in Judea and Samaria was integral to the state of Israel, Begin thought it was more important to retain control of Judea and Samaria than it was to have a “Jewish” state. This is the issue that must be dealt with today.

    78% of Israelis are against a bi-national state according to a poll conducted by Blue White Future; it is obvious to the overwhelming majority of Israeli citizens and Jews in the diaspora that Begin’s view is unacceptable, untenable and unsuitable. The ideal solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict differs depending on the individual; some want Israel to withdraw to the 49 Armistice lines, the Geneva initiative, the Clinton Parameters, to annex area C, swap the Israeli triangle for the settlement blocs, a three state solution with Jordan, to pay the Palestinians to leave etc. Aside from the fringe groups, there is near unanimous consensus (a rarity in Jewish culture) to keep Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.

    Begin saw the problem and a possible (though not necessarily the best) solution in 1979.

    You want the land, and a Jewish state.

    Then you are going to have to pay them to leave.

  11. All nonsense.

    As one Israeli general put it: The minimum any Arab leader could accept is more than any Israeli leader could give.

    The two state solution is dead. Why is anyone talking about this?

    Even before Oslo, Israel had settlements peppered around the contested areas. No government could have withdrawn them without the government collapsing before one person was moved.

    No Israeli government would ever give the Palestinians a free border with Jordan – the signature requirement of a state, even it is unarmed.

    No Israeli government would every give back the Palestinians the land over the aquifers that came into Israeli possession in 1967, thus making it impossible for the Palestinian state to survive.

    No Israeli government was going to give them access to the Jordan River for water.

    THIS IS ALL A FARCE!

    Whether you supported the two state solution, or whether you were against it, it was never going to happen.

    So the only question remaining is:

    WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THESE PEOPLE?!

    Either

    a) start the process of enfranchising them
    -or-
    b) pay them to move — South America is the only place that would accept them

    Everything else is mental flatulence.

  12. NormanF Said:

    negotiations are not going to resume in the foreseeable future.

    They will materialize because BB wants them to. Budget must be approved and passed first. failure to do so will lead automatically to new elections. No Government has ever fallen due to non passage of a budget and neither will this one.

    Subtext:

    Peres: ‘No doubt Obama will attack Iran if nuclear talks fail’

    In interview with Israel Hayom, Peres says Obama will use military option against Tehran if it doesn’t halt nuclear development • Ahmadinejad: “Western nations tried their utmost to prevent Iran from going nuclear, but Iran has gone nuclear.”

  14. A defacto freeze on Jewish construction has been in place since 1993.

    That won’t change in the future and in any case, freeze or no freeze, negotiations are not going to resume in the foreseeable future.

    The Arabs are not interested in making peace with Israel.