(Maariv International) Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom assured Secretary of State Colin Powell on Tuesday that Israel would build no new Jewish settlements on the West Bank or in Gaza but did not promise to stop natural growth of existing communities, as families grow larger. "We are committed not to build more settlements," Shalom said, noting that Israel would remove some two-dozen remaining temporary outposts in the territories. But "you cannot force young people who are getting married out of their villages, their settlements. You cannot do it." Shalom said Powell did not press him for assurances the withdrawal would be only the first step in a wider pullout.
2004-09-22 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive