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Viewpoint - July 29, 2010
Netanyahu: Extending Settlement Freeze Would Topple Israeli
Govt
Israeli Officials Insist Palestinian Call to Extend Freeze
Meant to Be Rejected
by Jason Ditz
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today ruled out
any deal to extend the West Bank settlement construction
freeze, set to expire in September, insisting that its
extension would topple Israel's coalition government.
The claim likely has some validity, as while the government
has mostly flouted the freeze in the first place, its
nominal existence has been hugely unpopular with most pro-
settlement factions in the right-far-right coalition, and
a number of key members of the government have angrily
warned against even considering its extension.
The announcement may further complicate efforts to convince
the Palestinian Authority to accept direct peace talks, as
the continuation of the freeze was one of a handful of
conditions President Abbas was demanding. Israel has
insisted the demands were never intended to be accepted,
but were rather meant to give Abbas an excuse to reject
the talks.
The Obama Administration has angrily demanded that the
Palestinians accept the direct talks, even though weeks
of indirect talks have yielded no real progress. President
Obama is reported to have threatened to abandon support
for a Palestinian state if the talks aren't accepted.
The demands put Abbas in something of a difficult position,
as accepting the direct talks will take considerable
pressure off Israel to make any concessions, and will
create an illusion of progress toward a peace deal.
Rejection comes with a big price as well, as it will make
it easier to spin the lack of progress as Abbas' fault.
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