The Israeli right-wing Netanyahu puts on the ropes.
Elias L. Benarroch Jerusalem, Aug 25 .- The freezing of the construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which ended on 26 September, puts the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, between a rock and a hard place nine days of the commencement of negotiations directly with the Palestinians.
The pressures of the extreme right, including supporting their government, have gained momentum with the latest threats by, gaia gold, the parties "Israel Betenu" and "Jewish homes" that will temporarily leave the parliamentary coalition.
The foreign minister and party leader, Avigdor Lieberman, "has been very clear" when I say that "Israel Betenu not be part of a process in which Israel is to surrender to Palestinian demands and continue the freeze," says a senior source the formation quoted by the daily, ffxiv gil, Yediot Aharonot.
"It's not a political issue but ideological (…) If the freeze continues we will (government)," he says.
Last November, Netanyahu agreed, under pressure from Washington, and ten months of suspension in the construction in the settlements, which was a Palestinian demand to unblock the stalled peace process since the previous December.
But it was with exceptions to the requirements of President, sto energy credits, Mahmoud Abbas, Israel announced that it would follow the construction of 3,000 buildings and facilities started and the public in the West Bank settlements, while the occupied area of Jerusalem was left out.
A report by Peace Now organization that follows the activities in the settlements, revealed that in these last nine months the Israeli government also granted special permission for another 600 homes.
For the nationalist right, these exceptions were not enough, and now require Netanyahu to honor its pledge not to renew the moratorium.
Mission impossible if Israel wants to see some progress in direct negotiations launched by the White House on September 2, after five months of indirect dialogue with the mediator George Mitchell.
Also plagued by strong internal pressures that oppose negotiations, Abbas and other Palestinian leaders warn that the peace and colonization can not go together and hoped that "the Israeli government chooses peace, not settlements."
In a letter to the Quartet, as well as in preliminary negotiations with Washington, the Palestinian leader underscored that the entire negotiating process depends on the decision of Netanyahu and that "the U.S. administration must demonstrate its seriousness to support this peace process" .
"The first test will show its position (White House) regarding the settlements," Palestinian leader added in the letter.
In anticipation of problems, Mitchell has made clear to both parties that Washington expects them to, once negotiations begin, do not put obstacles, and two U.S. officials arrive today, Wednesday, in the region to define patterns of dialogue "is a very complex issue, there are many options being considered, "he told Israeli Foreign spokesman, Yigal Palmor, for whom now" the essential is to begin direct negotiations on a framework within which everything can be addressed, both the subject settlements as everything else. "
The oppositionPrime Minister also stalled within his Likud party, which most right-wing has called a meeting of "rebels" during his visit to Washington.
"Netanyahu can not trust Meridor (the moderate Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy) and Barak (Labor leader and Dnse Minister) to keep his governing coalition, I argue Dani Danon, one of the deputies who organizes the meeting.
Several ministers, including Education Minister Limor Livnat and Public Diplomacy, Yuli Edelstein, also have raised his voice in support of the rebel group.
The State Department spokesman, Philip Crowley, announced yesterday that the future of the construction will be addressed in the meeting that Netanyahu and Abbas held with Hillary Clinton on Day 2, so that on September 26 there are no surprises that could tarnish the image of President Barack Obama.