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Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703404004575198492470451672.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
Israel Offers New Measures to Promote Peace Talks But Won't Freeze Construction in Jerusalem
(Wall Street Journal) Jay Solomon and Charles Levinson - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conveyed to the White House this weekend his rejection of a U.S. call for a total Israeli construction freeze in East Jerusalem. At the same time, U.S. officials involved in the diplomacy noted that the Israeli prime minister agreed to take nearly a dozen measures that could underpin new peace talks, including the release of Palestinian prisoners, easing the flow of goods into Gaza, and the removal of more roadblocks in the West Bank. Israel also said it would expand the area of responsibility for Palestinian security forces in the West Bank, and agreed to discuss the issues of borders and the status of Jerusalem in any new round of negotiations with the Palestinians, either directly or through a U.S. mediator. U.S. officials also said Israel was willing to stop construction in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo for two years. A plan to build more housing in the neighborhood had sparked a diplomatic crisis between the two allies.