Barak to Discuss Road Map with U.S. Envoy Mitchell

Israeli Prime Minister convenes weekly cabinet meeting as Defense Minister Ehud Barak prepares to head to London to meet U.S. envoy George Mitchell.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak says he will discuss a compromise over a peace road map with U.S. envoy George Mitchell tomorrow in London. The road map calls for an Israeli settlement freeze and seeks ways to promote regional peace.

[Ehud Barak, Israeli Defense Minister]:
I am travelling today for a meeting tomorrow with Mitchell and others in London. Again, with the aim of promoting a broader understanding with the United States about the diplomatic moves and a comprehensive regional agreement, which we support strongly, and the way to translate the road map that Israel accepted with reservations and understandings, to translate it into a joint path that is acceptable to us, the United States and to the other sides, to promote the diplomatic process with the Palestinians and to find an opening for further processes."

Barak has publicly raised the possibility Isreal might temporarily refrain from starting new settlement building projects—while continuing many under way. The Isreali proposal falls short of President Obamas demands calling for a settlement freeze in the occupied West Bank.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is facing staunch political pressure from within his own party and from others in his government coalition to allow settlement activity to continue.

[Yuli-Yoel Edelstein, Isreali Minister of Information and Diaspora]:
"There is no reason to talk about a complete freeze of settlement activity in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) - it's basically about freezing the population there and a population control is good for countries like China and Mao, and not for a democratic country like Israel. As far as Barak's meeting with Mitchell is concerned, I am sure that once there will be an understanding, what we agreed about with the previous American administration, it will be possible to reach agreements with the present American administration."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has resumed peace talks with Isreal conditional on a complete freeze of settlement activity.

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• NTD
• Roda Map
• Israel
• Ehu Barak
• George Mitchell
• Regional Peace
• Politics
• Palestine
• Barak Obama
• Benjamin Netanyahu