Saturday
Sep122009
Middle East Inside Line: How Will Israel Receive Mitchell?
Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 4:59
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
US Envoy Mitchell Back to Israel: Haaretz reports that the U.S. Mideast special envoy George Mitchell will soon arrive in Israel for another round of talks on Monday on specific topics.
The first issue will be gestures from some Arab states. Mitchell has already stated, without giving any names, that there is a progress with regards to expected normalization gestures from some Arab countries. However, the Israeli side is expected to offer a "wait and see" approach, offering only a six-month freeze on settlements in exchange of for positive steps from the Arabs.
Secondly, the scope of the settlement freeze is expected to be discussed. Israel will offer to suspend the construction of private housing units but will insist on the continuation of public buildings such as classrooms, health clinics and synagogues, neutralising public opposition to a freeze.
Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis
US Envoy Mitchell Back to Israel: Haaretz reports that the U.S. Mideast special envoy George Mitchell will soon arrive in Israel for another round of talks on Monday on specific topics.The first issue will be gestures from some Arab states. Mitchell has already stated, without giving any names, that there is a progress with regards to expected normalization gestures from some Arab countries. However, the Israeli side is expected to offer a "wait and see" approach, offering only a six-month freeze on settlements in exchange of for positive steps from the Arabs.
Secondly, the scope of the settlement freeze is expected to be discussed. Israel will offer to suspend the construction of private housing units but will insist on the continuation of public buildings such as classrooms, health clinics and synagogues, neutralising public opposition to a freeze.
Reader Comments (1)
Israel will never agree to a complete real freeze on settlements. It is a key component of Zionist ideology that Arabs be dispossessed of more and more land which is then colonized by setllers. The Israelis will talk about just building for "natural growth" of the settlements or they may start building taller buildings with more apartments but the end resullt is the same--more settlers in the occupied territories.
And it is not just the West Bank and Gaza, in Galilee there are ongoing govt efforts to increase the Jewish Population at the expense of the Palestinians. More ethnic cleansing but a little neater since it is inside the 1967 borders of Israel.