Defense Minister Ehud Barak leaves for the United States on Monday as he prepares for a meeting with US Mideast envoy George Mitchell. Ahead of Barak’s departure, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Barak will convene, along with Ministers Lieberman, Begin, Ya’alon and Meridor to formulate Israel’s position.

The daily Yisrael HaYom reports that a “senior political source involved in preparations for the meeting” quoted anonymously stated, “Israel is fed up with demands for a building freeze in the settlements as if this is all there is”.

Israel is expected to demand that if Jerusalem agrees to a construction freeze for a limited period of time, the Arab partners comply with demands as per the prime minister’s Bar Ilan address, namely PA recognition of Israel’s legitimate right to exist as a Jewish state.
Yisrael HaYom also reports that when asked about a Yediot Achronot report appearing on Sunday in which the senior minister was quoted as willing to agree to a three-month settlement construction freeze, Barak stated “the matter has not yet been decided. The matter is in its infancy stage. Our relationship with the United States is of paramount importance”.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)