Israel: Tension between Settlers and Netanyahu over "Freeze" on West Bank Construction

Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 10-month construction freeze in West Bank settlements decision, Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered his ministry to urgently recruit and train construction supervisors on Sunday in order to enforce the construction freeze. There are currently 14 supervisors in the West Bank and 40 are to be ready within two weeks.

Barak added a comment on the significance of the "freeze":

This step was not carried out in the Olmert government or in the Sharon government, not in my government and not in Yitzhak Rabin's government either. The real significance is that for the first time, we are suspending all new construction for an extended period and therefore giving peace negotiations a chance.

The road is long and there are difficult obstacles ahead, but we must make every effort to overcome them. Israel's main interest is the advancement of security and the political process - first on the Palestinian track and at the right moment on the Syrian track.

Israeli settlers in the West Bank are furious over the declaration. Settler leaders announced on Monday that they would prevent Israeli inspectors from blocking the construction of new buildings. A pro-Israeli settler group, the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, on Monday appealed to the High Court of Justice to put a stop to the government's plans.

In the wake of growing criticisms and pressure, Netanyahu is expected to meet with the heads of West Bank regional authorities on Tuesday.