Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered the Palestinian Authority a limited freeze on new construction in the West Bank if the PA agrees to a return to peace talks. Reports say the offer was made Wednesday.
Made and rejected, according to Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. He says the freeze offered only included construction by government officials, and not any of the construction done by private contractors, which is the vast majority.
Erekat went on to say that the PA was willing to accept the deal, but only if the settlement building was stopped entirely, saying “either it stops or it doesn’t stop.”
The offer shows a considerably different take on the freeze than Netanyahu has made public, repeatedly insisting in speeches that he would never agree to any sort of freeze again. Though the offer was not successful it suggests that behind the scenes the Israeli government still is at least open to making concessions to resurrect the talks, which have been stalled for over a year.
____ Netanyahu and the horse he rode in on. This is just another stalling tactic to slow the inevitable creation of a free and independent Palestine.
"Though the offer was not successful it suggests that behind the scenes the Israeli government still is at least open to making concessions to resurrect the talks, which have been stalled for over a year."
How is stopping settlement building on Palestinian land a concession? I keep hearing that Israel is willing to make painful concessions to achieve peace with the Palestinians. How is giving back land that is not yours a painful concession? They always make it seem like they are giving so much up. How is giving back land that you have stolen giving anything up?
Only, in the neoconnish,zionist logic could such thinking become a concession. Sadly,though, we in America applaud them for such nonsense.