Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that he will not renew the so-called settlement freeze in the occupied West Bank after it expires at the end of September. He said that the constructions and expansion will resume immediately after the freeze ends.
His statements came during a speech at the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)on Thursday.
Following his Wednesday meeting with U.S President, Barack Obama, Netanyahu said that there will be no new freeze on settlement activities in the occupied West Bank.
He added that he told AIPAC members that settlement construction and expansion will resume and that “he made enough sacrifices” to ensure the resumption of peace talks.
His stance was boosted by Obama’s call to the Palestinians to resume peace talks with Israel without waiting for Israel to halt its settlement activities.
Netanyahu received a warm welcome from Obama before their closed-door meeting at the White House. The warm welcome was considered by Israel as a “positive shift” after the failed White House meeting between the two leaders this past March.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority headed by Mahmoud Abbas said that proximity talks with Israel did not achieve any progress.
Nabil Shaath of Abbas’s Fatah movement said that the Obama-Netanyahu meeting did not lead to any positive outcome.
Furthermore, The Arab Peace Initiative committee said that it will be holding a meeting to evaluate the proximity talks held between Israel and the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas.
