Begin: PM won't extend construction freeze
Eretz Israel lobby meets with minister as part of campaign to prevent extension of freeze, ensure construction recommences in September
The construction freeze imposed on West Bank settlements, due to end in September, will not be renewed, Minister Benny Begin said Tuesday.
During a meeting with Eretz Israel lobby members, Begin said there was "no way" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would extend the freeze period, noting that the end of the freeze was a significant event for the State of Israel from a strategic, security and national point of view.
Following the commencement of proximity talks with the Palestinians, and in preparation for the end of the freeze period, lobby members launched a campaign to prevent Israeli "gestures" in the West Bank at the expense of settlers, and to ensure that construction would recommence at the end of the freeze period.
The meeting with Begin was the first of several meetings between lobby members and the forum of seven top government ministers, intended to garner the ministers' support for the lobby's aims.
MKs Zeev Elkin, Arieh Eldad, Zevulun Orlev, Avraham Michaeli, Uri Orbach, Yaakov Katz, Michael Ben Ari and Danny Danon were present at the meeting, as well as Yesha Council Chairman Danny Dayan and regional council heads from the West Bank.
Knesset members asked Begin to work within the forum to ensure that building would recommence at the end of the freeze period. They noted that in practice, there is a complete construction freeze in Jerusalem, contrary to the prime minister's declarations about this issue, and that there were fears that even if the freeze order is lifted, no construction tenders will be issued.
The council heads also voiced complaints over the behavior of Defense Minister Ehud Barak regarding the implementation of the construction freeze and the hurdles hindering the construction of educational premises in the West Bank.
Begin also referred to the commencement of the proximity talks with the Palestinians, saying that they actually increased the distance between the parties.
"In Jerusalem they're discussing water and in Ramallah they're discussing borders," he said. "There are no reports or transfer of messages between the sides."
He added that it was significant that the US had realized it cannot impose preconditions to negotiations on Israel as the Palestinians had demanded.
He said he didn't think the prime minister would convene the Ministerial Committee for Security and decide to extend the freeze, "not even for three months."
Amnon Meranda also contributed to this report
