Monday, December 13, 2010

Netanyahu welcomes US drop of freeze demand, and focus on core issues

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed on Monday a US decision to drop efforts to achieve a building freeze in Jewish settlements, in a speech at the Globes Business Conference in Tel Aviv.

""I welcome this American decision. The decision is good for Israel and good for peace."

"The US understood after six months of futile discussion on the future of the settlements, the important thing is to discuss the core issues."

Netanyahu added that Israel was willing to consider a renewed moratorium, but "the Americans understood that the Palestinians will only start talking about significant matters on the 90th day of the second freeze, or come to the negotiations on the 91st day and demand another freeze.

"What we're doing now is a necessary condition for a concrete discussion on these questions, through which we can reach a final settlement."

"In order to reach peace, we have to discuss the issues that are truly delaying peace." The prime minister explained that those issues are "security, refugees, and recognition of the Jewish State."