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Source: Israel will freeze settlement construction
Attila Somfalvi
Published: 12.04.13, 00:44
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1. Saving Face
Jordan Ariel ,   USA   (04.12.13)
So many things have been done to help Abbas "save face" he probably has a collection of faces in a secret room somewhere.
2. Settlement freeze
Harold ,   USA   (04.12.13)
A New Sheriff in town.
3. This is pathetic.
Mike Lumish ,   Oakland, USA   (04.12.13)
We are still seeing the results of the Obama trip to Israel. So far everyone has gotten something good from Obama's trip. Abbas got hundreds of millions of dollars to squirrel away as he sees fit. Erdogan got Israel to apologize to Turkey for Turkey's attack upon Israel in the Mavi Marmara affair. Obama got Israeli compliance. And Israel - lucky them - got to apologize! And now, in addition to the apology that Israel was so proud to offer, it even gets to freeze construction for Jews in Judea. What a deal!
4. building halt ?!
yosef, phd ,   usa-israel   (04.12.13)
On the sly? The cowardly government of Israel caves in again - I came to despise those spineless creatures, calling themselves "memshelet Israel"...
5. Well, if it's outside the major blocs and Jerusalem....
Vlad   (04.12.13)
Then I'm in favor. Nothing will come of it, but the world will see Israel making concessions, and the Palestinians being their usual stubborn demanding selves. Maybe it will boost public relations.
6. Freezing settlements
Joe Mevorah ,   Lincoln, U.S.A   (04.12.13)
Typical right wing double talk based on empty promises are in style . Unfortunately this will not bring peace. As Michael Karpin states in his book Imperfect Compromise "The concept of 'love of Israel' is not supposed to provide a cover up for bad policies. One can love the Jewish people and the State of Israel and still object to the evils of the occupation. Indeed, if you love the Jews and Israel, you should object to the evils of occupation and act to end it." This should be essence of the negotiations, and not the usual right wing rhetoric..
7. Just kick the ersatz "Palestinians" ....
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.12.13)
... to the curb. They were the aggressors in six wars, and lost all six. It's time for them to sink back into the sewer which sprang them. Enough concessions. This has grown ridiculous. Keep building. If the ersatz "Palestinians" don't like it -- well, tough. They should have taken the deal in 1947. But they didn't, did they? And the rest, as they say, is history. Time for them to pack their trash, and head on home to the Hejaz in the Western Arabian desert. Or Gaza. Or Jordan. Frankly, it doesn't matter, as long as they depart. No one really needs a terrorist rabble in their midst. Besides, the ersatz "Palestinian" miscreants couldn't organize a telphone call, let alone run a country. Just look at the pathetic history of the ersatz "Palestine" Authority. Tells you all you need to know.
8. Calling the others bluff for peace
Avramele   (04.12.13)
The usual scenario is that both sides engage in a bout of chicken resulting in an unwanted escalation of tension and violence. Wouldn't it be interesting even ironic if l'havdil the Obama Kerry dynamic forces both sides to escalate reluctantly toward a political compromise neither thought was likely?
9. Pshaw!
Sam ,   Texas   (04.12.13)
what a bunch of doohickey
10. Never trust Netanyahu
Gee ,   Zikron Yaackov   (04.12.13)
He has all the spine of a jellyfish
11. "On the sly"??? This is disgusting.
Harry Wright ,   UK   (04.12.13)
Say what you mean and mean what you say, dammit! Bibi, stop making a fool of yourself. Level with the people. "...allow Abbas to save face"? Only a plastic surgeon can help him with that. Bring on Lieberman to deal with this please, because it looks like the same ole government.
12. give you 3 words
mary_of_bethany ,   singapore   (04.12.13)
STUPID STUPID STUPID
13. please just 3 monthes please
Zaina Shehab ,   Kuwait   (04.12.13)
Its necesery freez build in settellment 90 days all sides need that isral USA and palistain people to begane another term of negotioation soon please done mester presedent Netenyaho try stop build in these sattelments only little time Please with my wonderful thanks to Israel
14. i know i see
Zaina ,   kuwait   (04.12.13)
U have wonderful jewish minde mester presedent Binyamen Netenyaho i respect your think so much so isuggest If you agree freez build settelment your country will win this term and for ever every time and any way
15. wonderful thanks
Zaina ,   kuwait   (04.12.13)
And i hope you the palistins prisoners be freedom please let them free please UN will love this step and human rights
16. bring the government down now !!!!!
Fad Egypt   (04.12.13)
Netanyahu must be fired now !!!! enough is enough, everything is collapsing, and this idiot is freezing the construction ??!!! why ??!!! to appease the criminal Obama !!!! this must be stopped now !!!!! shalom
17. Abbas will go to ICC even with 100% freeze if no '67 borders
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (04.12.13)
18. the lasttthing the Mideast needs is another dictatorship
Scott ,   Ramat Gan, Israe   (04.12.13)
Abbas is a dictator. He either censors criticsm or imprisons them. A PA Arab was sentenced to prison for criticizing him on Facebook. He & his Fatah cronies are criminals, having embezzled millions given by international donors he still refuses to hold new elections. He does not help the PA Arabs by build schools, hospitals & infrastructure, but gives money to families of terrorists & builds memorials to them. Abbas is not a partner to peace because Fatah's stated goal is still the destruction of Israel. Also, lasting peace cannot be made with a dictator.
19. FREEZE, Baby, Freeze
Keren Il-BR   (04.12.13)
Freezing settlements, Payment reparations to Turkey in big humilliation for our soldiers Being boycotted by foreign artists Scared to death of ICC Does it worth to keep 300 thousand Israelis in the West Bank? Isn't time to disengagge once and for all and behave as a normal nation, respected and with dignity?
20. 19, Keren
Aviela ,   Migron RC, Israel   (04.12.13)
Jews / Israel will not be respected, nor treated with dignity until we stand up for ourselves and our own interests, like every other nation in the world.
21. to#7 Sarah B..Just thnk and count to ten
exUK ,   Tel Aviv   (04.12.13)
Whilst I recognize all the problems and history,it is true to say that it is the extremists on both sides who impede progress and attempt,usually with success to throw a spanner in the works.So I ask her to step back from her "ersatz"self righteousness and think.To continue quoting what happened in 1947 is not helpful in solving todays problems.The third generation of Arabs on the territories did not choose their parents or where to be born.They had no influence in history .Most of both our populations only want a normal life,to support their families.But I also recognize that the words and actions of politicians of both sides and those with extreme religious beliefs continue to impede progress. Just as the behaviour of some of the ultra orthodox"holier than thou" passengers on Jet2 flights is not representative of Jewish folk in general,but which has probably contributed to us all being "labelled" as unruly, so I'm sure you would find if you bothered to look, that Mr and Mrs average Jew and Arab share similar needs and hopes. Try to be a little more even handed before you write rhetoric from your very biased and preconceived ideas.
22. TO Keren the half Brit
David ,   On this planet   (04.12.13)
England is surviving on stolen property and stolen world wide resources..So go preach to someone who's interested in your garbage
23. #21
Aharon   (04.12.13)
Today's Arabs may not have chosen their parents, but they did choose to carry on their ideology. There are very few Arabs who want to see a Jewish state and would rather see an Arab state in its place where Jews can live. How many peace rallies have you seen in Ramallah or Jenin that call for peace with the Jewish State of Israel or even a peace rally in general? Are we supposed to grovel at the feet of terrorists? It's okay for today's Arabs to be terrorists because their parents were terrorists, and today's Arabs had no choice but to be terrorists. Gee, I wonder why the British Empire collapsed?
24. #17, Palestinians will never go to ICC
Danny   (04.12.13)
Because they would not win. "Activists" have a track record of starting cases to huge fanfare but all have quietly failed.
25. Bibi lied again, he is not to be trusted.
Wise Saba ,   Western Negev   (04.12.13)
He will be toast after the next election.
26. To: No. 17
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.12.13)
Israel is not a signatory to the treaty which created the ICC. The ICC therefore has no jurisdiction. What part of that do you not understand? Abbas can go to the ICC and sing and dance until he falls dead of a heart attack. It doesn't change the fact that he has no standing to bring a case against a country that DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE ICC. Your wet dreams will not end happily, I assure you. May as well give your hand a rest.
27. To: No. 15
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.12.13)
Your country hanged a bunch of terrorists a week or so ago. Were you clamoring for their freedom, too? Somehow, I suspect not. Besides, Israel isn't exactly interested in winning the love and admiration of the lunatic international body called the United Nations. Were the UN to "love" Israel, that would be a sure sign that we're doing something very wrong.
28. #17 Wrong again SarahB. The ICC has
On the Balcony ,   Akko/NY/Kyiv   (04.12.13)
jurisdiction over international criminal acts committed on the territory of a member state (Palestine). It does not matter if Israel is not a member or refuses to participate in the proceedings. Since the UNSC, ICJ and ICRC have already stated that the settlements are illegal under international law there can be little doubt about the outcome before the ICC. Really SarahB, don’t you get tired of embarrassing yourself? You should either consult with a competent lawyer or do more legal research before making such silly statements about the law.
29. #21 You ask the impossible of SarahB
On the Balcony ,   Akko/NY/Kyiv   (04.12.13)
I'm reasonably certain that Sarah can count to ten but I'm afraid appeals to rationality, intellectual honesty, human compassion or considering any view other than her own are beyond her capability. When it comes to "ersatz" Palestinians, Sarah is no different from other nationlistic racists whose distorted world view rendered them incapable of distinguishing between, say, human beings and vermin. For Sarah, "ersatz" Palestinians are not human beings but vermin to be eradicated. She doesn't openly advocate exterminating them of course, just "removing" them. Strong words, yes. But will they be strong enough to shock SarahB from her venal delusions? Sadly, I doubt it.
30. #26 re ICC Jurisdiction
On the Balcony ,   Akko/NY/Kyiv   (04.12.13)
You might want to look at "How Israel Can (Lawfully) Avoid an ICC Investigation into the West Bank Settlements." Article 12 based jurisdiction over non-member state's who commit certain international crimes presents some thorny issues. From a purely academic perspective I would like to see Palestine pursue an ICC case against Israel in order to see some of those issues clarified. From the perspective of a Jew and a Zionist I am frankly terrified by the potential consequences of an ICC judgment against Israel. Remember, all of the ICC member states, which includes all of Europe, are bound to honor ICC judgements. And, on a personal note, you may feel that my comments/responses to you are harsh . You are right, they are, but deservedly so.
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