A senior Israeli official has ruled out any freeze in construction work on the occupied Palestinian land ahead of indirect peace talks with the Palestinians.
Press TV, 3 May 2010
Intelligence Agencies Minister and Minister for Atomic Affairs Dan Meridor said Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made no promise to halt construction work in East al-Quds (Jerusalem) The Jerusalem Post reported.
"During the four to five months of negotiation [with US President Barack Obama], Israel made no promise not to continue building," Meridor added.
He made the remarks after Israel and the Palestinian Authority agreed to break months of deadlock on peace negotiations and resume indirect talks next week.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat, however, denounced Israel's settlement works in East al-Quds, saying the construction work would complicate peace process.
He said the Palestinians are not interested in leaving the talks, but that the continuation of settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territory put the peace process at risk.
Erakat said we "don't have much time," so "why should either side do something to complicate the process."
The Palestinians agreed to resume talks after an Arab League committee, on Saturday, approved a US offer to hold proximity negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
The negotiations have been halted due to Israel's refusal to freeze settlement construction in occupied West Bank and East al-Quds in December 2008.
