25/06/2009 Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu continued to refuse to yield ground on the settlement construction issue Wednesday, even though French President Nicolas Sarkozy squarely backed the US position and called for a complete halt to the construction.
 
Ahead of the visit to Washington by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Netanyahu is planning to propose that increased construction in the settlements be allowed for "natural growth." This is the latest idea in addition to the possibility of a temporary hiatus in construction, as reported yesterday by Haaretz.
 
During his tour in Europe, Netanyahu has so far heard criticism on the issue of the settlements from leaders considered "friends" - starting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and yesterday from French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
"I am your friend and therefore I am speaking honestly," Sarkozy told Netanyahu during their meeting at the Elysee Palace. "You must conduct confidence building measures and the first must be the absolute freeze on construction in the settlements."
 
The French president asked Israel "without delay to take all measures possible to encourage confidence, starting by the total freeze of settlement activities, as well as the decisive improvement of access and movements of Palestinian civilian populations," according to a statement from Sarkozy's office.
 
Netanyahu and his aides are trying to formulate a compromise solution that will appeal to the U.S. administration. The proposal that the prime minister is now considering, which Ariel Sharon had previously put forward, is to carry out a "territorial freeze" to settlement activity. In other words, the settlements will not expand onto more territory in an effort to meet the growing needs of settler population without leading to new "facts on the ground," which would stand as an obstacle to the creation of an assumed Palestinian state. Under this proposal, the only new structures in settlements would be for public functions, like kindergartens or schools, Haaretz said.
 
"It is possible to resolve the territorial aspect of settlement construction," Netanyahu said yesterday following his meeting with Sarkozy. "It is possible to find a formula but this requires good will of all sides. What is important is to enable people to live normal lives and that is what I am explaining to the Americans."
 
However, sources close to Netanyahu have said that they are uncertain whether the Americans will make do with a "territorial freeze" or whether the Obama administration will insist on a "demographic freeze" as well.
 
Another option that was reported yesterday in Haaretz is a "temporary freeze" of settlement construction, except for projects that have already begun. "The main consideration is how long the freeze will remain in place and whether this may be a precedent that will transform the temporary hiatus into a permanent one," a source close to Netanyahu said.
 
BARAK TO MEET MITCHELL IN US
Netanyahu is scheduled to return to Israel Thursday due to the cancellation of his meeting with the US envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell. Defense Minister is set to meet with Mitchell in the US on Monday to continue to search for a compromise on the settlement issue. Diplomatic sources said the Barak meeting with Mitchell would deal with defining the parameters of a settlement freeze, meaning at what point can the construction of a house or apartment continue, and at what point would work have to be stopped. During Barak's upcoming visit to the US, expected to be for only a day, he may also meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and senior adviser Dennis Ross.
 
Barak is hoping to put forth a package deal with the Obama administration that will incorporate the recent easing of travel restrictions for the Palestinians. "If we have significant progress in talks with the Palestinians, the issue of the settlements will become less central," Barak said after meeting Wednesday in occupied Jerusalem with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout.