US, Israel may both claim victory on emerging settlement deal

September 23rd, 2009 Israeli FM: US meeting proof firm stand paid offJERUSALEM — Israel's foreign minister says a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Palestinian and American leaders was a victory for Israel because it took place even though Israel refused demands to freeze settlement in the West Bank. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israel Radio Wednesday that the government "kept its promises to the voter" and showed it is not necessary to "surrender and give in." Israel agreed only to slow settlement construction in the Palestinian territory for a limited time.

September 23rd, 2009 Israeli FM: Summit a victory for settlement standJERUSALEM — Israel's foreign minister said Wednesday that the summit of Israeli, U.S. and Palestinian leaders proved Israel could successfully fend off international pressure to freeze West Bank settlement construction.

September 7th, 2009 Israel approves 366 new West Bank apartmentsJERUSALEM — Israel has officially approved construction of 366 new apartments in the West Bank. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday that he intends to soon approve about 84 more.

September 3rd, 2009 Building of new West Bank housing dropsJERUSALEM — Israeli government statistics show that construction of new homes in the Israel's West Bank settlements fell by one-third in the first half of 2009 from a year earlier. The numbers bolster settlers' claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has partially frozen settlement construction under U.S.

September 3rd, 2009 Aide: Netanyahu considering settlement freezeJERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be willing to consider suspending construction in the West Bank for several months — but first plans to authorize hundreds of new apartments there, an aide said Friday. The U.S. has been pressing Israel to agree to a settlement freeze, and the Palestinians have said they would not resume peace talks unless Israel suspends construction on lands they want for a future state.

August 31st, 2009 EU: Fresh Mideast talks could be announced soonJERUSALEM — A top European Union official said Monday that renewal of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks could be announced in late September. The EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he expected a plan to reopen negotiations to emerge with the opening of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept.

August 23rd, 2009 JERUSALEM - Four days before travelling to London for a meeting with American envoy George Mitchell, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has told his inner cabinet that "significant progress" has been made on negotiations with the US over a settlement freeze. According to the Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu and his special emissary Yitzhak Molcho, briefed Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya'alon, Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor and Bennie Begin about the latest round of talks in Washington.o details of the discussions were released.

August 20th, 2009 AMMAN - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday the US administration of President Barack Obama was still adamant in its demand that Israel completely halts the building of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as a pre-condition for the resumption of peace talks with Israel. "We did not feel any retraction in the US attitude in this respect," Abbas told reporters after talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

August 17th, 2009 Former US candidate supports Israeli settlementsJERUSALEM — Former Arkansas governor and presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee says the U.S. has taken too harsh a stance against Israel on the issue of settlements.

August 6th, 2009 Republicans 'troubled' by US policy on IsraelJERUSALEM — The Obama administration's policy on Israel is misguided, puts too much emphasis on the issue of settlements and ignores the bigger threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, a U.S. delegation of Republican congressmen visiting Israel said Thursday.

August 4th, 2009 JERUSALEM - Even though last week's meetings between top US and Israeli officials was a significant step in strengthening the relationship between the two countries, Israel has clearly told Washington that zero construction in the settlements can not be sustained for long. Part of the problem is that Israel cannot agree to a settlement freeze without having "an exit strategy" for renewing construction if the diplomatic process runs aground, The Jerusalem Post reports.

July 19th, 2009 Israel told to halt east Jerusalem housing projectJERUSALEM — The U.S. has demanded that Israel suspend a planned housing project in east Jerusalem, senior Israeli officials said Sunday — the latest sign of a deepening conflict between the two allies over Israeli settlements.

July 2nd, 2009 JERUSALEM - Congressman Robert Wexler, a close political ally of US President Barack Obama and a big Israel supporter, has said that Israel would lose nothing, and potentially gain everything, by agreeing to a temporary moratorium on construction in the settlements for a short period of time. Wexler on his third visit to Israel since December met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, a day after Defense Minister Ehud Barak and US Middle East envoy George Mitchell met in New York and decided that the discussion over settlement construction would continue.

June 26th, 2009 Mideast Quartet urges Israel to halt settlementsTRIESTE, Italy — The Quartet of Mideast negotiators has called on Israel to freeze all settlement activity and to lift its blockade on the Gaza Strip. The Quartet — the United States, Russia, United Nations and European Union — met Friday on the sidelines of a meeting of the Group of Eight foreign ministers, who made a similar call for Mideast peace.

May 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama has urged Israel to freeze Jewish settlement activities in the West Bank, reiterating Washington's support for establishing a Palestinian state. After meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the White House Thursday, Obama told reporters that Israel "must meet obligations" to halt Jewish settlement activities in the West Bank, and that Israel would recognise the two-state solution in its security interests.