Israel, July 01: Israel’s Defence Minister Ehud Barak addresses the media during a news conference at the 48th… Enlarge Photo Israel’s Defence Minister Ehud Barak addresses the media during a news conference at the 48th…
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak played down on Wednesday a rift with the United States over Jewish settlements and said peace efforts should focus on persuading Arab countries to forge ties with Israel.
Barak said after talks in New York on Tuesday with U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell that Israel and Washington were still divided over a settlement freeze, a step President Barack Obama has demanded to help revive peace negotiations.
“I think we are closer to something else — to a joint understanding with the United States that the main thing that will determine the outcome of this effort is in the broad context of whether there will be a regional agreement,” Barak told Israel Radio.
A joint statement after the Barak-Mitchell meeting said among the issues they discussed were steps by Arab states towards normalisation with Israel and Israeli action on settlement activity.
“I think it’s clear that if an initiative gets under way for a comprehensive regional agreement that brings in other Arab countries … the settlements don’t cease to be important but they are put into the proper perspective,” Barak said in the radio interview.
Western diplomats said Washington wanted Arab states to let Israel open interest sections in their countries and to give permission to Israeli civilian aircraft to pass through their airspace.
But the diplomats said Arab states were resisting U.S. pressure, demanding that Israel first completely freeze settlement activity and take other steps to bolster the Palestinians.
NETANYAHU-MITCHELL MEETING
Barak said Netanyahu would see Mitchell later this month. The Israeli leader, who cancelled a meeting with Mitchell in France last week, plans to visit Germany and Britain in a few weeks.
Noting that Netanyahu had pledged not to build new settlements, Barak said the main point of contention with the United States was “what to do with buildings that are now under construction”.
Mitchell did not take questions from reporters at the start of the meeting in a New York hotel.
Israeli media reports have said Barak has proposed a temporary settlement freeze but that construction work continue on some 2,000 buildings currently being erected in settlements.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said U.S.-backed peace talks with Israel could not resume until all settlement activity ceased on occupied land Palestinians want for a state.
“As far as the settlements are concerned, Israel is weighing what to do,” Barak said, indicating he opposed any permanent halt to construction in major enclaves it intends to keep in any future peace deal with the Palestinians.
“You can hold your breath under water for two minutes. But you can’t stay under water forever,” he told the radio.
Addressing the issue of housing in settlements to accommodate “natural growth”, or expanding settler families, Barak said he expected Washington to take a practical approach.
The United States has said a settlement freeze must also include “natural growth” construction.
“Do you think someone in America thinks that pregnancies can be stopped or that nursery schools shouldn’t be built,” Barak asked.
“Ultimately, the Americans are serious and responsible people. It’s true, the expectation has been created that everything will stop. But on the other hand, Netanyahu is not far from this,” he said in the interview.
—Agencies