PM: Palestinians must relax conditions

Netanyahu tells his advisors in closed talks, 'Everyone knows that moderate and restrained construction in Judea and Samaria in the coming year will not affect the peace map.' Meanwhile, Likud officials say will back extension in settlement freeze in exchange for 'significant' US incentive package
Attila Somfalvi

PM showing no intention to freeze settlement construction again: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday told his advisors in a closed conversation, "It wasn't easy for us to freeze new construction in Judea and Samaria for 10 months, but I met all of our commitments to the Palestinians, the American administration and the international community.

"We did it in order to give Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) the option to enter the talks without preconditions. Now I expect the Palestinians to relax their conditions and stay in the talks."

The prime minister added, "My government has implemented a long list of one-sided gestures in order to restart the peace talks. Unfortunately, the Palestinians are only toughening their stance. For 17 years they held negotiations with the Israeli government while the construction continued, including during the last year of the previous government.

"Everyone knows that moderate and restrained construction in Judea and Samaria in the coming year will not affect the peace map in any way. So the international community must call on the Palestinians to remain in the peace talks. This is a Palestinian interest just like it's our interest."

US President Barack Obama met Friday with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who briefed him on the recent developments in the Middle East. The White House expressed its disappointment with the decision not to extend the settlement freeze.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that while the administration with disappointed with the decision, it did not change the Americans' determination to continue the peace process. We know there will be obstacle along the way, he said, but we will continue to lead the direct talks.

Meanwhile, senior Likud officials, who last week expressed their strong objection to any extension of the West Bank settlement construction freeze, told Ynet on Friday that they would support a two-month extension in exchange for loan guarantees from the United States.

"In light of the American guarantee package and in light of what Israel can get from the United States for two additional months of freeze, chances are that when the time comes we won't oppose an extension of the freeze, if such a demand is presented by the prime minister," one of the officials said.

Are they joking, we will sell our right to the land in exchange for a loan guarantee.

Bibi is folding, and watch how fast he is going to fold.