Source: Israel will freeze settlement construction

[azurnoir]

US Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to the Mid-East may have ended without any obvious results, but official sources involved in the preliminary talks said Thursday night that "eventually the negotiations will resume. Israel is expected to quietly freeze construction outside of the major settlement blocs in order to resume bilateral talks."

A few days ago Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas demanded that Prime Minister Netanyahu present a permanent agreement border outline.

Netanyahu, supported by his senior ministers refused the demand as well as any other demands for Israeli gestures.

Yet a senior official told Ynet that "while there won't be a de jure freeze, but quietly, quietly – construction outside the major blocs will be halted in order to resume negotiations. Israel will not make an official declaration but the move will be carried out on the sly as part of understandings between Israel and the US."

Jerusalem says that Kerry is determined to renew talks between the two sides and Netanyahu sees resumption of negotiations as a strategic move.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4367188,00.html

[Jefferson23]

1. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall for any discussion Kerry had with Mitchell about Bibi. n/