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Monday, November 1, 2010

PM Netanyahu: US yet to offer anything in exchange for renewal of freeze

There is no concrete American proposal regarding the renewal of a settlement construction freeze in the West Bank and the issue is on hold for the time being, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Likud faction meeting on Monday.

Asked by Knesset Member Tzipi Hotovely about the possibility that the Palestinian Authority would declare statehood without Israel's consent, Netanyahu said such a unilateral measure would "exact a price from both sides" and would not advance a solution to the conflict.

During Monday's faction meeting, Netanyahu said the Americans have not offered anything in exchange for a settlement construction moratorium, adding, "We are not discussing it at this point."

The premier also said there was no truth to recent reports saying Israel would lease land in east Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley from the Palestinians as part of a comprehensive peace agreement.