The US asked Israel to: "temporarily stop" construction in settlements, demolishing houses and evacuating Palestinians - voila! News

In video: Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (Walla system!)

During his visit to the region last week, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken asked Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian President Abu Mazen to agree to a "temporary halt" (Pause in the original) of the unilateral measures for a period of several months in an attempt to lower the level of tensions and stop the escalation in the West Bank, This is what senior Israeli and American officials said.

He asked the leaders for a "temporary stop".

Blinken and Netanyahu at their meeting last week (photo: screenshot, PM)

why is it important

• The Biden administration fears that the current escalation in the West Bank could lead to a third intifada and is trying to formulate a package of "negative measures" that both sides will undertake not to carry out and thus contribute to lowering the level of tension in the area.

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To the full article

Behind the Scenes

• American Assistant Secretary of State for Middle East Affairs Barbara Leaf remained in Israel after Blinken's departure and held follow-up talks about the same girls.

  Senior Israeli and Palestinian officials said that Leaf met, among other things, with National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, who holds the Palestinian file in the Prime Minister's Office, and with President Abbas's senior adviser, Minister Hussein al-Sheikh.

• The American administration wants that "temporary stop" to last several months and include, on the Israeli side, a postponement of construction in West Bank settlements, a postponement of the demolition of Palestinian homes and a postponement of the eviction of Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

• On the other hand, the Americans asked the Palestinians that in return they would suspend all moves against Israel in UN institutions and various international forums and resume the security coordination with Israel that was frozen about two weeks ago following the IDF operation in Jenin.

• Israel made it clear to the Biden administration that it is ready to take steps to significantly reduce the actions and measures that the US opposes, but made it clear that it will not be able to stop them completely, especially when it comes to construction in the settlements.

• The Palestinians, for their part, made it clear that they are ready for such a "temporary stop" on the condition that it be mutual.

• Senior American and Israeli officials said that the Biden administration is continuing contacts with both sides in an attempt to reach an understanding on the issue.

Blinken and Abu Mazen at their meeting last week (Photo: Reuters)

in the news center

• In the last week, Israel took several steps that signaled a desire to cooperate with the American move.

  On Monday, the Prime Minister's Office instructed to postpone the demolition of a building in East Jerusalem where 100 Palestinian families live.

  Western diplomats said the US, Britain and other countries had asked to delay the demolition.

• During his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris last week, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he does not intend to suspend construction in the settlements, but he will do much less than his coalition partners would like.

• Last week, the government asked the Supreme Court to postpone the evacuation of the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar in the West Bank for another six months, citing political and international sensitivities.

• The newspaper "Haaretz" reported yesterday (Monday) that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich visited the leaders of the Yesha Council in a closed meeting to take steps to ensure that no new illegal outposts are established in the West Bank in the near future.

More in Walla!

• Blinken's polite words made clear the US's opposition to the plan to weaken the judiciary

• Blinken summing up his visit: "I asked some of my advisors to stay in the area, to discuss reducing tensions"

• Fewer wrinkles after just one use of the revolutionary home device

the situation picture

• Yesterday, five armed Hamas operatives were killed in an exchange of fire with IDF forces in Jericho. According to the IDF, members of the squad were involved in shooting attacks against settlements in the Jordan Valley.

• The office of the Palestinian president called the operation a "new crime" by the Israeli government and claimed that the operation undermines international efforts to curb the escalation in the West Bank.

• Netanyahu, for his part, said that the IDF's operations in Jericho were carried out due to a lack of choice and only after the Palestinian security forces refrained from acting on their own to arrest the members of the squad.

what are they saying

• The American Foreign Ministry in the Prime Minister's Office refused to comment on the matter.

  There was no response from the Palestinian President's office.

• An American official said that the Biden administration hopes to be able to reach an understanding with both sides on a "temporary stop" but warned that in the fragile situation in the West Bank it will be very difficult to achieve this and to maintain it for a long time.

• The head of the National Assembly, Tzachi Hanegbi, said that "all cabinet decisions following the attacks in Jerusalem will be carried out verbatim."

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Tags

• United States

• Abu Mazen

• Benjamin Netanyahu

• Anthony Blinken

• settlements

• Construction in settlements