Netanyahu trying to convince top ministers to extend settlement freeze

[oberliner]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his forum of top ministers on Tuesday afternoon to debate extending Israel's moratorium on construction in West Bank settlements for 60 days.

The concession would be made in exchange for a series of reported U.S. guarantees in Israel's direct peace negotiations with the Palestinians. Israel halted construction temporarily for 10 months, a freeze that ended on September 26.

The Palestinians have said they would not continue the recently renewed negotiations unless Israel agreed to halt construction again. The Obama administration has urged Israel to reconsider its refusal of that demand.

If Netanyahu succeeds in convincing the Forum of Seven to accept an extension of the construction freeze, he plans to bring the matter to the political-security cabinet for a vote later Tuesday.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-trying-to-convince-top-ministers-to-extend-settlement-freeze-1.317164

[whosinpower]

1. One has to wonder

What guarentees that the US would make.....I read somewhere that there was a letter sent to Netanyahu regarding some sort of guarentees via the US - and the White house denied sending any letter.....

I am also wondering if the tactics of Operation Price Tag are having an effect that is going against their interest now.

[azurnoir]

2. the article points to the rather choppy political waters Mr Netanyahu is in

he needs Lieberman's blessings from what I have read and as Mr. Lieberman is himself a settler that approval is questionable at best, but saying that can be overcome there will eventually be the question of evacuating the settlements and that is where I have real fears of bloodshed. That being said I still believe that no matter the outcome of Mr Netanyahu's plea to Ministers the Palestinians should stay in the talks

[whosinpower]

4. I agree - Abbas should not walk away

But does Netanyahu really need Lieberman? I have read conflicting political viewpoints coming out of Kadima, etc.

The discord within the coalition appears as political gamesmanship and it comes with a cost - to Netanyahu's relevancy in regards to the peace talks. Of course, there is political gamesmanship going on with the opposition parties as well. And Abbas is not without his own set of albatross' hanging around his neck either.

[azurnoir]

8. Perhaps Kadima would join with Likud

not a bad thing in itself however it does not nullify the extremest parties and would certainly give them cause and a chance to whip up their public, Netanyahu needs Lieberman to hold his current coalition together

[LeftishBrit]

3. Hope he succeeds in persuading them...

a reminder that, bad as Nutty is, some of his coalition partners are much more nutty. Anyway, I hope that the talks can be rescued.

[whosinpower]

6. Abbas can help him I think

And I would like to hope that Abbas recognizes that he needs Netanyahu to succeed just as much as he needs to succeed. Abbas is weak politically and if Netanyahu wins concessions at the cost of Abbas - it will mean the peace talks will amount to nothing tangible.....and Netanyahu is not in a position (because of his coalition) to lose either.

I think it is time for Abbas to come up with a solution to the impasse. A way forward that would allow the building to continue and some other concession from Netanyahu. And, I wish it would come from Abbas - and not some sort of vague guarentee from the US - which, in my mind, should not be injecting into the talks.

[applegrove]

9. +1

[JDPriestly]

5. What does Israel have to lose?

[Donald Ian Rankin]

10. The settlements. Also, *Netanyahu* has his coalition to lose. N.T.

[demosincebirth]

7. My sympathies are starting to drift away from Israel.

[oberliner]

11. What does your comment have to do with the OP?

Was there something in particular in this article that has caused your sympathies to drift?

[parkia00]

12. Erm...

the settlements? :think:

[oberliner]

14. The article is about extending the settlement freeze

Isn't that a step in the right direction?

[demosincebirth]

15. See parkia00, he/she has no problem with my answer.

[oberliner]

19. I have no problem with your answer either

I was just curious as to what, if anything, from this article inspired your reply.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

17. No, the settlement freeze is not a step in the right direction.

1) Freezing construction in the settlements is not a step at all, it's maintenance of the status quo; a step in the right direction would be shrinking them.

2) Even while the settlement freze was nominally in force, expansion of the settlements continued.

3) The article is not about extending the settlement freeze, it's about how Israel is *not* extending the settlement freeze.



So no, this isn't a step in the right direction; it's going from walking more slowly in the wrong direction to walking faster in the wrong direction.

[oberliner]

18. Even if it leads to the PA rejoining negotations?

Wouldn't that be a positive development?

How do you expect there to be any chance for peace if the sides are not speaking to one another?

[Donald Ian Rankin]

20. They were already *in* negotiations when Israel reaccellerated the settlement growth.

So not, it's not so much a positive developement as remedying a negative one.

[oberliner]

21. Remedying a negative is positive as far as I'm concerned

What do you think Abbas ought to do next?

[azurnoir]

13. well disappointing as it is he apprently is not

Netanyahu meets top ministers, but no mention of settlement freeze extension

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's forum of senior ministers met Tuesday but did not discuss negotiations with the Palestinians, despite expectations that the forum would discuss a proposal to extend the settlement freeze in exchange for American guarantees.

"The forum of seven discussed preparations for the delegitimization campaign designed to strip Israel from its right to self defense," sources in the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

"During the discussion, the forum heard updates on the upcoming timetable of the UN committee investigating the events of the Gaza flotilla," the statement said. "The ministers did not touch on the topic of Israel-PA peace talks," it added.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene the forum of seven on Tuesday in order to debate extending Israel's moratorium on construction in West Bank settlements for 60 days, after Israel's 10-month construction freeze ended on September 26.

The concession would be made in exchange for a series of reported U.S. guarantees in Israel's direct peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/netanyahu-meets-top-ministers-but-no-mention-of-settlement-freeze-extension-1.317357

[whosinpower]

16. The script is about to change

You can feel it too can't you?

They are circling the wagons and roughing out a defense to the UN report....and if you critisize - you are delegitimizing Israel....or you are helping those who wish to destroy Israel via delegitimization.

They are making preparations......talking points must be distributed.....peace...what peace....our very existance is under threat......we can't even defend ourselves....

That is a good deflection.....yeah...that'll probably work too.....sadly.