Netanyahu rejects US call to halt building
Source: Agencies |
April 23, 2010, Friday
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AIDES to Israel's prime minister said yesterday he has officially rejected United States President Barack Obama's demand to suspend all construction in contested east Jerusalem, a move that threatens to entrench a year-old deadlock in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.
The aides said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his government's position to Obama over the weekend, ahead of this week's arrival of the US president's special Mideast envoy, George Mitchell. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the contact between the two leaders was private.
Washington had put Mitchell's shuttle diplomacy on hold for more than a month as it awaited a reply from Israel. Aides to Netanyahu provided no information on whether the Israeli leader had offered any other concessions to the Palestinians in an effort to restart the long-stalled talks.
But with Israel eager to ease tensions with its closest and most important ally, it appeared likely the Jewish state tempered its rejection with other confidence-building gestures toward the Palestinians.
The status of east Jerusalem, home to shrines sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, is the most emotionally fraught issue dividing Israelis and Palestinians. The Palestinians claim the city's eastern sector as the capital of a future state, but Netanyahu has insisted repeatedly that Israel will retain control of the entire city as its capital.
Israel and the Palestinians had been set to launch US-mediated negotiations last month when Israel announced plans during a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden to build 1,600 homes in a Jewish housing project in east Jerusalem.
The aides said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his government's position to Obama over the weekend, ahead of this week's arrival of the US president's special Mideast envoy, George Mitchell. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the contact between the two leaders was private.
Washington had put Mitchell's shuttle diplomacy on hold for more than a month as it awaited a reply from Israel. Aides to Netanyahu provided no information on whether the Israeli leader had offered any other concessions to the Palestinians in an effort to restart the long-stalled talks.
But with Israel eager to ease tensions with its closest and most important ally, it appeared likely the Jewish state tempered its rejection with other confidence-building gestures toward the Palestinians.
The status of east Jerusalem, home to shrines sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, is the most emotionally fraught issue dividing Israelis and Palestinians. The Palestinians claim the city's eastern sector as the capital of a future state, but Netanyahu has insisted repeatedly that Israel will retain control of the entire city as its capital.
Israel and the Palestinians had been set to launch US-mediated negotiations last month when Israel announced plans during a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden to build 1,600 homes in a Jewish housing project in east Jerusalem.
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