According to reports from Yerushalayim, talks held in London by government representatives and US envoy George Mitchell failed to arrive at a mutually acceptable formula pertaining to construction in yishuvim throughout Yehuda and Shomron, with the Barak administration remaining firm in its increasingly subtle change in attitude towards Israel. Apparently, the White House is unwilling to accept Israel’s demands that construction to accommodate natural growth in these communities be permitted, a move that back in Jerusalem is being called inhumane, unreasonable and illogical.
Attending the London talks were Deputy Prime Minister/ Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy Dan Meridor, National Security Advisor Dr. Uzi Arad and special envoy attorney Yitzchak Molcho. American representative, Mideast envoy George Mitchell remained firm, stressing the White House’s agenda, Israel recognition of the need to implement the two-state solution and a total unconditional freeze of all construction in all yishuvim.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak is traveling to Washington for working meetings this week and he is expected to encounter much criticism due to the insistence of the present administration not to accept the White House’s demands.
Barak, who heads the Labor Party, last week announced that he too opposes the White House’s demands, stating construction to accommodate natural growth in yishuvim is a must, stating a total freeze cannot be expected.
In Washington however, the new administration has not wasted time in showing its new hard-line policies vis-à-vis Israel, as well as rejecting Israeli calls to increase sanctions and take a harder position regarding the rapidly growing Iranian nuclear threat.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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6 Responses
Kol Ha’Kovod! Yasher Koach!
Who put Mitchell in charge of Israel?
Talk is cheap. Let’s see what these big talkers do when push comes to shove.
Notice how chicken hearted Obama makes sure it is Mitchell and (recently) Clinton who call for Israel to stop all building, and not he himself.
The reason he does not call for it personally is because he knows that it’ll damage his presidency.
I personally have nothing against giving the Arabs parts of EY that were taken in ’67. Rav Shach poskened you could, and Maran leaves the option on the table also. But that is only–only!–when you are getting real security in return.
Obama has no business pushing Israel to surrender land that is vital for security into the hands of people calling for it’s destruction and building and testing weapons to do just that…
the ultimatum for the white house should be: fine there will be a construction freeze, provided that you patriate all the citizens in the settlements and wherever you want us out of. prepare housing for us somewhere in the US mainland and we’ll wait there untill moshiach comes, really soon
i don’t think it will go over well, they would rather see the arabs push us into the sea
Your article mentions
the “Barak” administration remaining firm in it
FYI
Ehud BARAK is the present defense minister of Israel. BARACK Obama is the POTUS.
The last time there was a BARAK administration was in 2002 when Ehud Barak lost the prime ministership of Israel to Ariel Sharon