Netanyahu: There will be no construction freeze

Source: Hizbollah Site Staff, 15-09-2009

"Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that there will not be a complete freeze on settlement building and that building in occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem) will proceed as usual.

"The Palestinians expect a complete halt to building; it is now clear that this will not happen," Netanyahu said, "Jerusalem is not a settlement and the building [there] will continue as normal."

While speaking to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Knesset, Netanyahu spoke about progress made in regards to the "peace process" as well as the U.S. demand to freeze building beyond "Israel's" Green Line.

Netanyahu told the committee that George Mitchell, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, had requested a complete halt to settlement building.

"We clarified to the U.S. that we would continue building around 2,500 units whose construction had already begun. Two days ago, we authorized 450 additional units. I stated that we would consider reducing the extent of our building," said Netanyahu.

Netanyahu spoke on the two central principles presented in his June speech at Bar Ilan University: "the recognition of "Israel" as a Jewish nation and effective demilitarization of a future Palestinian state."

Netanyahu complained "at the same time that we are taking steps to get things started, the other side is making their position more extreme."