Netanyahu: Israel agreed to new settlement freeze, but U.S. retracted offer

[azurnoir]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he had agreed to the U.S. suggestion of a three-month extension to the West Bank settlement freeze, but the Americans were the ones who retracted the offer.

"The United States asked us to consider extending the freeze by three months, and the truth is that we were prepared to do so," Netanyahu said while speaking before the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Netanyahu said that contrary to what was reported, Israel did not refuse extending the freeze on West Bank settlements by three months, saying it was eventually the "United States who decided against that direction, rightfully, in my opinion."

In early December, the Obama administration announced that Washington was "ending the contacts to try to achieve another moratorium" after months of heavy negotiations to offer Israel a series of U.S. guarantees in exchange for the freeze.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-israel-agreed-to-new-settlement-freeze-but-u-s-retracted-offer-1.334965

[madrchsod]

1. my,my,benny is dissing obama...

i think president obama better start figuring out who are his friends....

[Ozymanithrax]

2. Benny had close links to Republicans back to the Clinton Administration...

It is not surprising that he might want to embarass a Democratic President.

[azurnoir]

3. Perhaps his 'new' friends in congress will renew the deal but

with no strings attached

[Ozymanithrax]

4. I think Benny will play the Republicans like a Kazoo. n/t