Israel rubbishes Obama call to halt settlements

The government plans to allow construction inside existing West Bank settlements to accommodate growing families (a policy dubbed ?natural growth?), said the officials, explaining a position that looks sure to cause a serious policy clash with the United States. Meanwhile, Jewish occupiers yesterday built a new settlement outpost in the West Bank. The government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to go beyond the formal response, said that instead of halting all settlement activity, Israel planned to take down 22 unauthorized settlement outposts in the West Bank in the coming weeks. That balancing act ? taking down outposts while pressing ahead with so-called ?natural growth? construction in the settlements ? is not likely to go down well in Washington. Meanwhile, prodding the international community in Germany, Obama yesterday called ?for all of us to redouble our efforts? toward a two-state solution. The president announced he was dispatching special envoy George J. Mitchell back to the region next week to follow up on his speech in Cairo. Alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel following his Mideast trip, Obama said: ?The United States can?t force peace upon the parties.? But he said America has ?at least created the space, the atmosphere, in which talks can restart.? The president urged Palestinians and Arab neighbors to do their part by making ?tough choices? to defuse the situation in the region. Meanwhile, the chief Palestinian negotiator Sa?eb Erekat said that 40 percent of West Bank is ?under the control of the empire of Jewish settlers.? Erekat added the ?ongoing settlement activities contradict the international law and legitimacy?, Kazinform cites Arab News. See www.arabnews.com for full version.