Netanyahu Will Push for Settlement Freeze

Despite the angry-sounding words recently exchanged between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over planned Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, Netanyahu has reportedly agreed to push for a new settlement freeze. Under the proposed deal, Netanyahu will ask his cabinet to freeze construction for just 90 more days so that Palestine will resume peace talks. Once a peace agreement is signed, the US will give Israel a $3 billion package of security incentives and fighter jets, the New York Times reports.

Construction in East Jerusalem, however, will not be impacted by the proposed new freeze. All new construction, as well as all construction that began after Israel’s 10-month moratorium expired in September, would be halted, but the ban would apply only to residential building, not public structures. The hope is that peace talks will be successful and no further building moratorium will be needed, because clear borders will be drawn up. As part of the agreement, the US would not ask for a further freeze beyond the proposed 90 days, an official says.
(More West Bank settlements stories.)