[Ha'aretz] Nathan Guttman - Freezing the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank was once seen as a unilateral Israeli obligation. But the Obama administration is now treating this as part of a package that will require concessions from Arab states as well. "The Americans now understand that if they get anything from us on the settlement issue, it will only be in the broader context of some kind of Arab return," said an Israeli diplomat. Talks between U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell and Defense Minister Ehud Barak focused on a two-sided deal that will include reciprocal steps by Arab countries.
2009-07-29 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive