Robert Bandanza
December 18th, 2009, 07:41 AM
18/12/2009 Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Thursday that Israel's announced 10-month partial moratorium on construction in West Bank settlements was only a tactical move and a temporary one.
"It is clear to everyone that in 10 months, we will be building again full force; anyone who understands anything knows this," he told a meeting in the occupied West Bank settlement town of Ariel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the partial moratorium on November 10, in reply to demands by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Israel halt all settlement activity before suspended peace talks can resume.
But Abbas rejected Netanyahu's announcement, which did not include public buildings or those where construction has already begun, and which also excluded Israeli construction in occupied East Jerusalem.
Lieberman said Thursday night that Israel would make no more overtures to the Palestinian Authority. "There will be no more overtures, and we will not make another gesture or quarter gesture. Enough with the theatrics and the mediators," he said. "We are prepared for direct negotiations without any conditions or gestures. The ball is in the Palestinians' court."
Netanyahu has already expressed a similar stance, but so far has refrained from clearly stating that this is the last gesture on Israel's part.
Lieberman added, "The current government has made many gesture to the Palestinians, including the removal of checkpoints, the Bar Ilan speech, permission to hold the Fatah conference and the 10-month settlement freeze in Judea and Samaria.
"We cannot tolerate a situation in which (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) keeps threatening to resign and shouting 'support me'. The ball is in the Palestinian court."
Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak also commented on the construction freeze and said the decision was made out of "our understanding of our prime duty of making sure all negotiation options remain open."
Barak added, "We have a year of very comprehensive action ahead of us, including a few difficult decisions on diplomatic, security and economic matters awaiting the government."
As Israeli authorities continued to clash with right-wing settlers earlier Thursday, Barak reiterated his commitment to enforcing the government's decision to freeze construction in West Bank settlements.
Last month, the Israeli cabinet announced the decision to halt settlement construction for ten months, in efforts to jumpstart peace talks with the Palestinians, who have demanded a complete freeze of construction before talks could resume. "This is a government decision, and we will enforce it without blinking and without stuttering," Barak said Thursday during a Labor Party meeting in Tel Aviv.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=115875&language=en
"It is clear to everyone that in 10 months, we will be building again full force; anyone who understands anything knows this," he told a meeting in the occupied West Bank settlement town of Ariel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the partial moratorium on November 10, in reply to demands by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Israel halt all settlement activity before suspended peace talks can resume.
But Abbas rejected Netanyahu's announcement, which did not include public buildings or those where construction has already begun, and which also excluded Israeli construction in occupied East Jerusalem.
Lieberman said Thursday night that Israel would make no more overtures to the Palestinian Authority. "There will be no more overtures, and we will not make another gesture or quarter gesture. Enough with the theatrics and the mediators," he said. "We are prepared for direct negotiations without any conditions or gestures. The ball is in the Palestinians' court."
Netanyahu has already expressed a similar stance, but so far has refrained from clearly stating that this is the last gesture on Israel's part.
Lieberman added, "The current government has made many gesture to the Palestinians, including the removal of checkpoints, the Bar Ilan speech, permission to hold the Fatah conference and the 10-month settlement freeze in Judea and Samaria.
"We cannot tolerate a situation in which (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) keeps threatening to resign and shouting 'support me'. The ball is in the Palestinian court."
Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak also commented on the construction freeze and said the decision was made out of "our understanding of our prime duty of making sure all negotiation options remain open."
Barak added, "We have a year of very comprehensive action ahead of us, including a few difficult decisions on diplomatic, security and economic matters awaiting the government."
As Israeli authorities continued to clash with right-wing settlers earlier Thursday, Barak reiterated his commitment to enforcing the government's decision to freeze construction in West Bank settlements.
Last month, the Israeli cabinet announced the decision to halt settlement construction for ten months, in efforts to jumpstart peace talks with the Palestinians, who have demanded a complete freeze of construction before talks could resume. "This is a government decision, and we will enforce it without blinking and without stuttering," Barak said Thursday during a Labor Party meeting in Tel Aviv.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=115875&language=en