US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday released statements that continued construction and expansion in “settlements” (Yehuda and Shomron) does not guarantee that those communities will remain following a final agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The senior American official is calling on Israel and the PA to agree on final borders for a Palestinian state and put and end to the ongoing disagreements over future borders.

Reiterating America’s commitment towards a comprehensive regional peace, Rice stated the sides must act in good faith and the border issue must be resolved in order to move forward.

Referring to continued construction in Israeli areas, she stressed this in the eyes of the American administration does not represent a fait accompli vis-à-vis the future status of the areas being constructed.

Rice spoke of the limited “window of opportunity” and the fact that the moderate elements among Israel and the PA are losing patience, which may result in an “explosion” in the area involving Hamas and the supporters of the radical elements.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)