In a discussion Sunday with Israeli diplomats on the occasion of "29 November" - the day the United Nations authorized the establishment of a Jewish state in mandatory Palestine – Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said that the institution of a building freeze in Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria could lead to "a historical event that would be no less important than Resolution 181 (the resolution that authorized an independent Jewish state), arriving at a political settlement with the Palestinians.
"The Palestinians have never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity," Ayalon said at the Hebrew University sponsored event. "I hope that this time the Palestinians will not miss the opportunity to establish a true peace," he added.