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U.S. Abandons Push for Renewal of Israeli Settlement Freeze

(Washington Post) Karen DeYoung - The Obama administration has abandoned its effort to persuade Israel to renew a settlement construction freeze, which U.S. diplomats had hoped would invigorate moribund peace talks with the Palestinians. U.S. officials said Tuesday that the administration had taken off the table a package of political and security incentives offered to Israel in exchange for a 90-day freeze on West Bank settlement construction. The U.S. decided not to comply with an Israeli request to put its offer in writing, including $3 billion worth of jet fighters, a commitment to object to anti-Israel resolutions in international organizations, and an agreement never again to ask for a suspension of settlement construction. An Israeli official said that while negotiations over the package had embroiled Israel and the U.S. in a time-consuming effort, the proposal hadn't really moved the Palestinians and thus was fruitless. U.S. officials said talks next week would move directly to "core issues," including land boundaries. "We are going to immediately engage with both sides on substantive negotiations," said a U.S. official. Isaac Molcho, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's special envoy to the talks, arrived in Washington on Tuesday, and Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat will be here later in the week. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad are scheduled to attend a conference this weekend of the Saban Forum at the Brookings Institution, where Secretary of State Clinton will speak Friday.
2010-12-08 09:07:25
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