With the issue of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s settlement policy looming over them, Israeli and Palestinian official met here this week for their first discussions about civilian issues in six months.
Maj. Gen. Oren Shachor, the leader of the Israeli delegation, said the talks were conducted in a “good atmosphere.”
But his Palestinian counterpart, Jamil Tarifi, targeted the settlement issue, telling reporters that the Palestinian Authority had sent a letter to Netanyahu stating that it was “impossible to continue the peace process while continuing settlements.”
The bilateral group, officially known as the Supreme Civilian Steering Committee, attempts to resolve disputes arising from the implementation of the self-rule accords.
The Israeli delegation included representatives from the defense establishment and from the Finance and Foreign ministries.
The committee has not met since Hamas launched a series of terror attacks against Israel in February and March.
The Israeli side raised what it considered Palestinian violations of the accords, including illegal construction activities, the unauthorized entry of Palestinians into Israel and the Palestinian Authority’s failure to pay hospital and other fees.
The two sides agreed to reactivate subcommittee discussions regarding civilian matters and decided that committee members would tour border crossings next week to discuss further easing the closure of the territories.
The Israeli side refused to discuss the issue highest on the Palestinian list of concerns — Jewish settlements.
On Tuesday, Palestinian officials reacted angrily to an announcement by Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai to place 300 mobile homes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to provide additional space for overcrowded school buildings in time for the start of the new school year.
A day later, the head of the Likud Knesset faction, Michael Eitan, said new neighborhoods would be created in the West Bank and Gaza, adding that many Jews would soon relocate there.
The U.S. State Department reacted with the announcement that it was planning to ask Netanyahu whether Eitan’s comments reflected government policy or were just “public suggestions.”
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