(Washington Post) Glenn Kessler - The Obama administration hailed the Israeli government's announcement Wednesday that it intends to temporarily halt new residential construction in the West Bank. "We believe the steps announced by the prime minister are significant and could have substantial impact on the ground," said George J. Mitchell, the special U.S. envoy for Middle East peace. The Obama administration appeared eager to put a painful and lengthy dispute with Israel over settlement expansion behind it. The Israeli announcement came about as a result of extensive bilateral discussions, with sources saying a private understanding was reached that the Israeli government would be expected to maintain the moratorium if peace talks appeared to be making progress.
2009-11-26 08:09:12Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive