Responding to indications that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is planning to commit Israel tonight to a freeze on \"geographical expansion\" of communities in Judea and Samaria, acting Yesha Council head Uri Ariel wrote him a furious letter today. Ariel blames Sharon for implementing the left wing\'s policies: \"Your consent to freeze construction in Yesha in conjunction with a cease-fire is akin to acceptance of the left-wing assertion that settlement equals terrorism.\" Sharon will address the nation at 8 PM this evening.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, speaking last night in Washington, basically endorsed the Mitchell Report. The report calls for the total of all Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria, but Powell said that before anything else, the Palestinians must stop all violence. The Palestinians say that they will accept the American position only as a \"package deal,\" and not that they must first stop their violence. Prime Minister Sharon said that Israel accepts the report \"in principle.\" Arutz-7\'s Haggai Segal asked Likud MK Ze\'ev Boim about this today: \"The Mitchell Report equates an unprecedented total freeze on construction in Judea and Samaria, including even natural growth, with a stop to Palestinian violence - so how is it that the government comes along and accepts it?\" Boim responded,
\"The government said that it accepts the outline of the Mitchell Report, which means that it does not accept some of the details. The fact that the U.S. demands that Palestinian terrorism must stop before anything else occurs is positive from our standpoint. As far as the settlements, I hope that the government finds a way to accept upon itself, for a limited time, not to expand settlements, but to continue the necessary activities within the existing town borders.\" This also appeared to be a hint that a freeze might be imposed on geographical expansion.
Settlement leader Tzvika Slonim said today that even if such a freeze is temporary and/or dependent on a ceasefire by the Palestinians - \"which I don\'t think the Palestinians will be able to implement\" - he is very apprehensive about any form of declaration of a freeze: \"I am frightened when people say, don\'t worry, it\'s only for three months. Once it starts, it\'s hard to know when it will end!\"
Education Minister Limor Livnat called upon Prime Minister Sharon this morning to announce outright that Israel rejects the Mitchell Committee proposals regarding a Yesha freeze. \"Israel must not adopt this idea,\" she said during a visit in Gush Katif, \" even if only for tactical purposes… The Mitchell Report\'s equation between Palestinian violence and Israeli settlements is unacceptable.\" Livnat added that any call to stop natural growth in the Judea and Samaria communities is \"idiotic.\"
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, speaking last night in Washington, basically endorsed the Mitchell Report. The report calls for the total of all Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria, but Powell said that before anything else, the Palestinians must stop all violence. The Palestinians say that they will accept the American position only as a \"package deal,\" and not that they must first stop their violence. Prime Minister Sharon said that Israel accepts the report \"in principle.\" Arutz-7\'s Haggai Segal asked Likud MK Ze\'ev Boim about this today: \"The Mitchell Report equates an unprecedented total freeze on construction in Judea and Samaria, including even natural growth, with a stop to Palestinian violence - so how is it that the government comes along and accepts it?\" Boim responded,
\"The government said that it accepts the outline of the Mitchell Report, which means that it does not accept some of the details. The fact that the U.S. demands that Palestinian terrorism must stop before anything else occurs is positive from our standpoint. As far as the settlements, I hope that the government finds a way to accept upon itself, for a limited time, not to expand settlements, but to continue the necessary activities within the existing town borders.\" This also appeared to be a hint that a freeze might be imposed on geographical expansion.
Settlement leader Tzvika Slonim said today that even if such a freeze is temporary and/or dependent on a ceasefire by the Palestinians - \"which I don\'t think the Palestinians will be able to implement\" - he is very apprehensive about any form of declaration of a freeze: \"I am frightened when people say, don\'t worry, it\'s only for three months. Once it starts, it\'s hard to know when it will end!\"
Education Minister Limor Livnat called upon Prime Minister Sharon this morning to announce outright that Israel rejects the Mitchell Committee proposals regarding a Yesha freeze. \"Israel must not adopt this idea,\" she said during a visit in Gush Katif, \" even if only for tactical purposes… The Mitchell Report\'s equation between Palestinian violence and Israeli settlements is unacceptable.\" Livnat added that any call to stop natural growth in the Judea and Samaria communities is \"idiotic.\"