Netanyahu coalition partners refuse extension of settlement "freeze"

The majority of the parliamentary factions currently participating in the Israeli government coalition under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu have refused to agree to an extension to the moratorium on illegal Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank. According to Hebrew newspaper reports published shortly before Netanyahu’s meeting with US President Barak Obama this week, the factions have vowed to “prevent the continued implementation of the resolution” which is due to expire in September,

The leaders of the blocs, led by the president of the government coalition, the Likud deputy Zeev Elkin, announced that “ending the freeze on schedule is the minimum required to maintain the independence of Israel and to protect its vital interests”.

Similarly, the Likud Minister Benny Begin ruled out reaching any lasting solution with the Palestinians in the near future, saying: “It is necessary to ensure the appropriate development of settlements in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank],” adding that, “this region is the cradle of Jewish civilisation as a whole.”

Source: Quds Press