THE INDEPENDENT: Jerusalem says EU demand for discussions on eve of Yom Kippur is highly insensitiveIsrael has said it will not meet a delegation of European foreign ministers, including William Hague, this week as diplomatic pressure mounts on its government to extend a 10-month settlement freeze that ends next week.
The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, yesterday told Tony Blair, the Middle East envoy, that current restrictions on building West Bank Jewish settlements will not remain, but there would be some limits on construction. "We will not freeze the lives of the residents," he said.
Israel has bridled at what it calls an "insensitive" European demand to hold meetings on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The ministers from Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Germany had apparently proposed to hold meetings on Friday morning, hours before the start of the Yom Kippur fast.
"They showed very high insensitivity to this special date. It's just not done," said Yigal Palmor, a foreign ministry spokesman. "Everyone is away, no meetings are planned, all agendas are empty. We suggested alternative dates, which were refused." >>> Catrina Stewart in Jerusalem | Monday, September 13, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Israeli settlers threaten to bring down Benjamin Netanyahu's government: Israeli settlers have pledged to bring down the government of Benjamin Netanyahu if the prime minister backtracked on a firm commitment to allow West Bank construction to resume. >>> Adrian Blomfield in Jerusalem | Monday, September 13, 2010
