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Source: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1254861904528&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/Printer
Settlement Issue No Longer U.S.-Israel Flashpoint
[Jerusalem Post] Hilary Leila Krieger - President Obama's low approval rating among Israelis must improve for the Israeli-Arab peace process to advance, Israel's ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren told the Washington Hudson Institute think tank Thursday. Citing polls showing that just 4% of Israelis believed Obama is pro-Israel, he said that if the Israeli public didn't trust the Obama administration, it would be unwilling to take the risks necessary for a peace deal. At the same time, Oren said there is no "crisis" in U.S.-Israel relations. "There were certainly points where there could be significant friction," he said. "Much of this friction was reduced through extensive cooperation and communication between these two governments." "The settlement issue as a major, major flashpoint is gone," he maintained. "They have made significant progress on the idea of a time-limited freeze that would not really impact Jerusalem and that would provide for a certain amount of natural growth construction," he reported.