As the issue of settlement building continues to burn, a decision is due today on whether Palestinians can return to the talks, writes MARK WEISSin Jerusalem
AHEAD OF today’s meeting of the Arab League in Libya, where a decision will be taken on Palestinian participation in peace talks, contacts continued between Israel and the US on a package deal to get the negotiations back on track.
A week ago Israel’s 10-month moratorium on West Bank settlement construction ended. The Palestinians have made it clear that they will not return to the negotiating table as long as settlement building is taking place, but Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said he wants the talks to resume.
Faced with a majority of right-wing ministers who oppose extending the building freeze, Mr Netanyahu was trying to secure a package of guarantees from Washington in order to persuade his cabinet to back another temporary settlement building freeze, probably for an additional 60 days.
A two-month renewal of the moratorium would mean that next month’s mid-term US elections would take place with the Middle East peace talks still on track. The Americans hope Israeli and Palestinian negotiators would be able to reach agreement during this period on the borders of a future Palestinian state.
Officials in both Jerusalem and Washington were keeping tight-lipped on what exactly the administration of Barack Obama may be willing to offer Mr Netanyahu in order to win Israel’s support for a new building freeze.
The Yediot Aharonotnewspaper reported yesterday that Israel wants Mr Obama to endorse the commitment made by his predecessor, George W Bush, in 2004, to then Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon. Mr Bush, in a letter to Mr Sharon indicated that Washington would support Israeli annexation of the larger West Bank settlement blocs as part of a peace agreement.
There was also media speculation that Israel was seeking US support for an Israeli or international presence of the eastern border of a future Palestinian state to prevent the possibility of arms being smuggled across the Jordanian border. Mr Netanyahu yesterday denied any link between the efforts to renew the peace talks and his surprise announcement on Wednesday that he supports amending Israel’s Citizenship law so that any non-Jew applying for Israeli citizenship will have to pledge allegiance to a “Jewish, democratic Israel”.
Right-wing ministers, who have been pushing for such a move for months, welcomed Mr Netanyahu’s announcement. Hardline foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman insisted that such an amendment was part of the coalition agreement before his Yisrael Beiteinu party joined the Netanyahu government.
Mr Netanyahu said he will bring the amendment before the cabinet for approval on Sunday. “Israel is the Jewish people’s homeland,” he explained.
“It is so in its essence, in its government, its symbols, holidays and language, and that should be reflected in the Citizenship law.
But the proposal was condemned by Arab, left-wing and centre parties, and by human rights’ groups as racist and discriminatory. Arab Knesset member Haneen Zoabi termed the move “fascist”.
“The government, in its racism and stupidity, is pushing the Arab citizens into a corner, and the result will be destructive,” she warned.