Clinton Praises Israel for Considering Settlement Freeze

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has praised Israel’s consideration of a U.S. plan to extend a freeze on West Bank settlements in exchange for a number of incentives, including a squadron of advanced American warplanes.

Clinton said Monday that Israel’s consideration of a 90-day, one-time settlement moratorium is a “promising development.” She said the Obama administration is working intensively with both Israelis and Palestinians in order to move toward negotiations on all final status issues.

But the U.S. State Department said Mr. Obama’s September 2011 deadline for a comprehensive peace deal could slip even if both sides quickly return to negotiations. Spokesman P.J. Crowley acknowledged the impasse on settlements could delay any resolution.

Under the preliminary U.S. proposal, Washington is expected to fund the delivery of 20 advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to Israel in addition to 20 of the next-generation aircraft Israel has already ordered for purchase. The U.S. has also pledged to block any independent attempt by Palestinians to declare statehood at the United Nations.

The plan consists of a three-month moratorium on West Bank settlement construction, but does not affect East Jerusalem, where last week Israel announced plans to build 1,300 new apartments. Diplomats say the U.S. would also refrain from seeking any further halt to settlement construction after the 90 days are up.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to put the plan’s final draft to his 15-member security cabinet for approval. Analysts expect the Israeli government to narrowly pass the building freeze, despite strong criticism from Mr. Netanyahu’s conservative coalition partners, who oppose limits on settlement construction and fear it will create pressure for further concessions.

The Palestinian leadership, while not rejecting the proposal outright, have criticized it because it does not include a ban on building in East Jerusalem.

Israel and the Palestinians renewed peace talks under U.S. sponsorship in early September, but the negotiations broke down a few weeks later after Mr. Netanyahu failed to extend a 10-month moratorium on settlement building.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told The Associated Press Monday that the Palestinians want Israel to stop all settlement activity, including in East Jerusalem, before direct peace talks can begin.

Some information in this story was provided by AP, AFP, Bloomberg and Reuters.