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Why the U.S. Ended Push for Israeli Building Freeze

(New York Times) Ethan Bronner - After American and Israeli officials began negotiating a partial, one-time, 90-day Israeli settlement construction freeze in exchange for American military hardware and diplomatic guarantees, it became clear that every element of the deal posed profound difficulties, and that the wisest course was to step back and start over. Now the administration wants to plunge forward - without direct talks and without a freeze - and demand substantive engagement from each side right away through American officials. The Palestinians are unhappy with this turn of events. Still, Palestinian leaders indicated that they were not closing off American-brokered talks; they know that all the recognition in the world will not, on its own, create the reality of a sovereign state. Administration officials came to the realization that the issue of settlements was one among a clutch of difficult ones: Jerusalem, borders, security, and Palestinian refugees. Any one of them placed ahead of the others would become a roadblock to progress. Israeli officials indicated that with a settlement freeze off the table, they could be more forthcoming on other issues, including changes on the ground in the West Bank.
2010-12-09 09:27:56
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