Shortly after Mitchell's arrival in Israel, Mr. Netanyahu has decided to freeze the construction of 900 homes in E. Jerusalem.
Netanyahu freezes 900 homes in E. Jerusalem
As many know, East Jerusalem is particularly significant because Palestinians have wanted that to be the location of their capital, so encroachment by the Israeli government (which has gone on for decades) has been particularly tough to swallow. That said, this step (while not yet, a full and complete freeze on settlements) is still a step in the right direction. That said, Mr. Netanyahu needs to make sure his actions correspond to his words. He's really trying to tie the line so tightly as to take pressure off of himself and yet, keep his coalition. This strategy of announcing settlement freezes in increments, is designed to do that. That said, he must completely freeze all settlement building, if he would hope to completely remove the pressure from him and place it with the palestinians.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has frozen a project for the construction of some 900 apartments in East Jerusalem, Channel 10 television reported late Wednesday.
The report of Netanyahu's order to freeze the project came a day after he held talks in Jerusalem with U.S. President Barack Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell. Netanyahu has been under tremendous pressure from the United States to freeze all construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
According to Channel 10, The houses were planned to be built in Pisgat Ze'ev, one of several Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem built beyond the Green Line separating Israel from the West Bank.
Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has refused to engage in new peace negotiations until Israel completely halts construction in the city and the West Bank.
Israel conquered East Jerusalem, including the historic Old City with its Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Armenian quarters, and the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War.
Israel has since annexed East Jerusalem, and Netanyahu, of the center-right Likud party, has vowed he will not divide the city again.
Off topic, but the Senate Judiciary has shown a list of nominees (within the Judiciary's purview) which have been blocked in the Senate. The list reads like a liberal wishlist. It's downright shameful. Starting at the top of the list is....Dawn Johnsen.
List of blocked nominees within the Judiciary