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Oil Israeli settlers defiant amid building freeze
December 04, 2009 Edition 1
JERUSALEM: Jewish settlers continued yesterday with their refusal to abide by a government-ordered freeze on building in West Bank settlements, and blocked inspectors from entering a community to enforce the edict.
Settler leaders met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was expected to try to placate them with tax breaks and promises to mitigate the freeze. The meeting came a day after Israeli police arrested the mayor of a West Bank settlement and three other activists for defying the 10-month building freeze Netanyahu announced last week.
Netanyahu said the order was meant as a confidence-building gesture to get peace efforts with the Palestinians back on track. The decision has drawn fire from the right wing of Netanyahu's coalition and put him at odds with key supporters of his political base.
Palestinians have said the move is insufficient because it does not include east Jerusalem or 3 000 homes that were under construction when the order was approved.
The Palestinians have refused to start peace talks with Netanyahu unless he freezes all settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem - captured areas they claim as part of a future state. - Sapa-AP
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