Settlements: Israel May Compromise Amid Broader Peace Effort

nytimes.com:

JERUSALEM Israel would be open to a complete freeze of settlement building in the West Bank for three to six months as part of a broad Middle East peace endeavor that included a Palestinian agreement to negotiate an end to the conflict and confidence-building steps by major Arab nations, senior Israeli officials said Sunday.

Read the whole story: nytimes.com

Comments

[Theou]

All hail, Israel, when it hints it "may compomise" on its criminal policies viz a viz the occupied Palestinian Territories.

The distortion of reality, that comprises the Israael/Palestine narrative which is conveyed to the American public via mainstream media and upon which all congressional and executive actions by the American government, is truly painful. And that is the comment of a distant and very comfortably placed observer. What is must be like for its victims doesn't bare thinking about.

[baffy]

We should take the word compromise very lightly. Israel will NOT stop building in East Jerusalem and will continue the 2000 buildings already under construction in the West Bank. In return they want partial normalization of relations with Arab countries and serious negotiations with the Palestinians. There are already an astonishing 500,000 illegal settlers living on Palestinian land. A good faith move would be to reduce this number dramatically, not grow it while negotiating.

As usual, Israel wants it all. Well it can't have it all.

[forpeacealways]

Obama doesn't care. He was the one who said that all of Jerusalem should be Israel's.

[petera63]

For once, Obama was right.

[Aziat]

compromise? But i thought the Israelis didn't want peace? This is strange indeed...

[arle]

When they actually do what they say? Then maybe we'll have a reason to think Israel's words are worth the paper they're printed on.

[laminators]

Netanyahu doesn't oppose settlement expansion, which will cause tensions. Wonder how the result of the UN hearing of Gazan war victims might, if anything, influence this situation?
http://www.governmentalityblog.com/my_weblog/2009/06/un-listens-to-testimony-of-gazan-war-victims.html

[Macready]

I do not believe anything the israelis say . . . they are just playing games with everyone . . . they have no intention of working with the Palestinians or anyone else . . . their arrogance says it all . . .

[forpeacealways]

Oh so are you saying that peace isn't possible because you don't trust Israel. We should tell Obama that because he seems to think that Palestinians want peace. I guesse not.

[totaldisbelief]

not worth commenting on.