It’s all about timing some say, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, a world class statesman knows this better than most. This prompted the media statements on Tuesday of a “settlement freeze” ahead of the prime minister’s European meeting with American Mideast envoy George Mitchell.

The prime minister is scheduled to meet with Mitchell in London next week, and now, he comes armed with his compliance with White House demands, halting settlement construction, seeking to throw the ball in the PA’s court regarding stalled diplomatic contact between Jerusalem and Ramallah.

The Prime Minister’s Office then released statements denying any such policy has been implemented, explaining it is a holdover from the previous administration of Ehud Olmert. This was an effort to implement damage control, to avoid a coalition crisis with right-wing parties.

Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Mitchell are scheduled to meet in London on August 26th, at which time White House demands to halt construction will dominant the agenda.

Despite the announced ‘settlement freeze’ from Jerusalem, Mr. Mitchell will undoubtedly insist on similar actions in “occupied Jerusalem,” areas of the Jewish capital liberated in the June 1967 Six Day War which America views as “occupied” and eventually slated to be “returned” to the PA in a peace agreement, to serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)