Thursday
Nov192009
Israel-Palestine Analysis: Time for a Complete Halt of the West Bank Settlements?
Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 9:50
Israel-Palestine Video: Obama “Additional Settlements are Dangerous”
Israel-Palestine-US Special: Stakes Raised With Approval of More Settlements
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Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Washington visit, the Jerusalem Municipal Planning Committee approved the construction plan for an additional 900 new housing units beyond the Green Line. Questions remains over the timing and actors in this decision: is the Netanyahu Government involved? And, if so, is this primarily a message to Washington that Israel is not weak or is it prompted by internal politics, trying to consolidate opposition to any demands of the Obama Administration?
There is another possibility: the approval of the additional 900 housing units may be a harbinger of a halt to expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, at least temporarily. Before declaring that halt, Netanyahu is seeking space for a guarantee that East Jerusalem will not be item in future discussions. If Jerusalem is non-negotiable, then Israel will not build as Arabs offer gestures of "normalization". If this is not conceded, then Israel will resume settlement construction.
On Wednesday, "left-wing" politician Yossi Beilin told Army Radio that Netanyahu is soon going to announce a complete freeze in West Bank settlement construction for 10 months. Israeli officials have not responded to this claim.
Israel-Palestine-US Special: Stakes Raised With Approval of More Settlements
Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED
Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis
Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Washington visit, the Jerusalem Municipal Planning Committee approved the construction plan for an additional 900 new housing units beyond the Green Line. Questions remains over the timing and actors in this decision: is the Netanyahu Government involved? And, if so, is this primarily a message to Washington that Israel is not weak or is it prompted by internal politics, trying to consolidate opposition to any demands of the Obama Administration?There is another possibility: the approval of the additional 900 housing units may be a harbinger of a halt to expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, at least temporarily. Before declaring that halt, Netanyahu is seeking space for a guarantee that East Jerusalem will not be item in future discussions. If Jerusalem is non-negotiable, then Israel will not build as Arabs offer gestures of "normalization". If this is not conceded, then Israel will resume settlement construction.
On Wednesday, "left-wing" politician Yossi Beilin told Army Radio that Netanyahu is soon going to announce a complete freeze in West Bank settlement construction for 10 months. Israeli officials have not responded to this claim.
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