Israel agrees to freeze settlement construction as gesture to US

PM's Office confirms moratorium will be in effect until beginning of 2010 to give peace process chance to gain steam, entice international community to recognize Israel's sovereignty in Jerusalem, large settlement blocs. Right, haredim express disappointment over policy; 'We don’t intervene in construction in Arizona,' MK Hershkowitz says

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3763386,00.html

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"In a subtle overture to the US, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Housing Minister Ariel Atias agreed upon a de facto moratorium on new building in the settlements.

According to the estimates of officials involved, the freeze will be in effect until the beginning of 2010. The objective is to provide an opportunity for a Mideast peace process to gain momentum in hopes that the new "waiting" tactic will allow international recognition of Israel's sovereignty in Jerusalem and the large settlement blocs.

Despite pressure from right-wing ministers, the housing minister has yet to issue one building tender in the settlements, including in the large settlement blocs, since Netanyahu has taken office. This has been confirmed by Prime Minister Netanyahu's office. The ministry also did not issue new tenders in the final days of Olmert's administration. The right-wing and the haredi sector have expressed their disappointment over this quiet policy.

Right-wing ministers claim that this policy has been forced upon Israel and undermines the country's sovereignty in areas over which there should not be any dispute."

Obama said that he wanted a year's moratorium, and he got six months. My guess is that he really wanted six months, and asked for a year. The Israelis wanted to see if they could play this against him, and likely found out that they couldn't. Of course, Netanyahu will tell his people that he pushed Obama into accepting six months. Fascinating political play we've seen for the last few months.

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"U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he saw encouraging signs of a softening of Israel's resistance to his call for a freeze on settlement-building in the occupied West Bank.

Earlier on Tuesday, an Israeli government minister said no tenders had been issued for new housing projects in Israeli settlements since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-leaning government took office five months ago. Netanyahu has rebuffed Obama's push for a complete freeze, creating the most serious rift in U.S.-Israeli relations in a decade.

"There has been movement in the right direction," Obama said when asked about the latest development after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the White House.

The two leaders, meeting for the third time in as many months, talked about how to jump-start the stalled Middle East peace process, a top foreign policy priority for Obama."

more

http://topiclinks.boston.com/article/01Qu91k2Nx2h5?q=Barack+Obama

If true, this is the result of Obama reneging on Israel's understanding of the 2004 Bush letter. IOW, the USA cannot be taken at its word anymore - perhaps this has been the holdup all along, who knows?