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Israel's Foreign Minister Vows to Block Settlement Slowdown

   VOA News 06 September 2010
   Israeli  Foreign Minister Avigdor says his party will try to block any
   extension of Israel's settlement slowdown

Photo: AP

   Israeli  Foreign  Minister  Avigdor  Lieberman  takes part in a social
   gathering for the diplomatic corps in Jerusalem, Sept 6. 2010

   Israeli  Foreign  Minister Avigdor Lieberman says his party will block
   any attempts by the government to extend a partial construction freeze
   on settlement building in the occupied West Bank that is set to expire
   later this month.
   Lieberman  told Israel Radio Monday that his ultra-nationalist Yisrael
   Beitenu  party has enough power in the government to make sure no such
   extension succeeds. Â
   Many  members  of Mr. Netanyahu's party also oppose any extension. The
   10-month freeze is set to end on September 26.
   The  issue  of settlement construction threatens to derail Middle East
   peace  talks,  which  restarted  this  month  after  a nearly two-year
   hiatus.
   Palestinian leaders say they will quit the peace talks if construction
   resumes.
   Israeli  and  Palestinian  leaders  will  continue  the talks in Sharm
   el-Sheik, Egypt, on September 14 and in Jerusalem on September 15.
   A  U.S.  State  Department official said Sunday Israeli Prime Minister
   Benjamin   Netanyahu,   Palestinian   President  Mahmoud  Abbas,  U.S.
   Secretary  of  State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Middle East envoy George
   Mitchell will take part in the negotiations.
   Jerusalem  has  long  been  the  focus  of  major  differences between
   Israelis  and Palestinians.  Israelis want Jerusalem as the undivided
   capital of the Jewish state.  Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the
   capital of their proposed state.
   Hamas,  the  Islamist  militant  group  that  controls the Gaza Strip,
   rejects  the  peace  talks  and  has vowed to continue attacks against
   Israel.

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

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