Israel's Knesset to thaw freeze plan

Israeli Knesset (parliament) members from Likud and Kadima parties are working on a resolution to exclude large settlement blocs from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 10-month building freeze.

The Hebrew-language daily Ma'ariv reported Thursday that MK Miri Regev has adopted a proposal from Ron Nachman -- the illegal Ariel settlement's leader -- to be excluded from the building lull, which applies to areas in the West Bank.

The draft resolution would be a political embarrassment to Netanyahu, as his party, Likud, was generally in favor of the temporary freeze on certain building, while the opposition, Kadima, is thought to be more politically left-leaning and somewhat ideologically opposed to settlements.

Netanyahu last week announced that Israel had agreed to freeze all settlement activities, except in Jerusalem Al-Quds, for 10 months in a bid to re-launch stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

The Palestinians have refused to start peace talks with Netanyahu unless he freezes all settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem Al-Quds.

Tel Aviv is currently under intense pressure from the international community to halt the construction of illegal settlements in the West Bank. Israeli settlements are widely considered the main obstacle in the way of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Under the 2002 Roadmap for Peace plan brokered by the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, and Russia, Israel has to 'dismantle settlement outposts erected since 2001 and freeze all settlement activities.'

There are currently 121 Israeli settlements and approximately 102 Israeli outposts built on Palestinian land occupied by Israel in 1967. All of these settlements and outposts are illegal under international law and have been condemned by numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions.

These settlements and outposts are inhabited by a population of approximately 462,000 Israeli settlers. Some 191,000 Israelis are living in settlements around Jerusalem Al-Quds and an additional 271,400 are spread throughout the West Bank.

All such Jewish settlements are deemed illegal under international law because they have been erected on occupied lands that the Palestinians claim for a future state.