CNN reports that Hillary Clinton attempted to extend the moratorium on West Bank settlements for three months at the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks this week, but Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the offer.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has proposed a three-month extension of Israel’s construction moratorium on the West Bank, a diplomatic source told CNN Thursday.
The proposal, which was made this week during Middle East peace talks being held in the region, was accepted by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, but essentially rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The two sides appear to be at a stalemate, the source said.
Netanyahu’s official position remains that he will not support any extension of the moratorium, which has been in place for 10 months and is set to expire September 26.
The U.S. special envoy to the region, former Sen. George Mitchell, is attempting to negotiate a “quid pro quo” from the Palestinians in exchange for an extension, the source added.
This is going to get ugly in the next week and a half if it heads in the direction I expect. Netanyahu won’t extend the moratorium no matter what good-faith offer Abbas makes, especially because Abbas has very little of value to offer. He doesn’t even have a significant segment of the Palestinian people in the area of most concern to the Israelis, Hamas in Gaza, behind this effort.
By all accounts the talks are moving rapidly but the Palestinians are in a tough spot if the settlements resume. They have sworn to cut off talks at that point, and if they remain they may lose the support of the rest of their constituents. Netanyahu plans “restrictions” on new construction, but the old permits are enough to push building right up to the same level from before the moratorium. Both sides say they have no alternatives but to work toward peace, but when that moratorium ends, I believe the alternatives will suddenly crop up.
Maybe there’s an 11th-hour solution here, but I’m not seeing it.
