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Israel's Netanyahu: No Concession on East Jerusalem

   VOA News 21 March 2010
   Israeli  Prime  Minister  Benjamin  Netanyahu  looks on during a press
   conference  with  Governor  of  the  Central  Bank  of  Israel Stanley
   Fischer, not seen, in Jerusalem, 17 Mar 2010

Photo: AP

   Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

   Israel  Prime  Minister  Benjamin  Netanyahu  says Israel will make no
   concessions about construction in East Jerusalem.
   Mr.  Netanyahu  made  the  comment  to  his  Cabinet  Sunday as George
   Mitchell,  the  U.S.  special  envoy for Middle East peace, arrived in
   Israel  to  try  to  start  indirect  talks  between  Israeli  and the
   Palestinians.
   Differences over Israeli settlement construction in East Jerusalem, on
   land  captured  during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, has recently erupted
   in a public dispute between the U.S. government and Israeli officials.
   Envoy Mitchell is to meet with Mr. Netanyahu Sunday before the Israeli
   prime  minister  leaves  for  Washington to address a major pro-Israel
   lobbying group and meet with congressional leaders.
   Meanwhile,  U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the Palestinian
   Gaza   Strip   Sunday   and   criticized   Israel's  blockade  of  the
   Hamas-controlled territory. Â
   Mr.  Ban told reporters that Israel's policy of closure of the coastal
   enclave is not sustainable and causes unacceptable sufferings.
   The  Israeli  military  and  Hamas fought a three-week war starting in
   late  2008.   Israel  said  it  was trying to stop Palestinian rocket
   attacks from Gaza.
   In  the occupied West Bank, Palestinian medics say a Palestinian youth
   died  Sunday  of  wounds suffered during a Saturday clash with Israeli
   troops  in  a village south of Nablus.  He was the second Palestinian
   youth  to die from the confrontation, which stemmed from land disputes
   between local Palestinians and a nearby Israeli settlement.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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