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While Netanyahu did not offer details of the "midway options," some of his ministers have already spoken out strongly on the fate of the construction moratorium. Education and Sports Minister Limor Livnat said at Sunday's cabinet session that construction must resume. However, Minister of Improvement of Government Services Michael Eitan said the international atmosphere must be taken into account when deciding on the matter. Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official told the local daily of Ha 'aretz over the weekend that Israel has refused a visit by five senior European ministers in order to avoid what the report termed "heavy" European pressure on Israel to extend the self-imposed 10- month moratorium on settlement construction. EU ministers "only want to come to talk about the settlement freeze and the peace process," the official told the newspaper. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had originally invited top diplomats from Britain, Germany and Italy in order to update them on the status of Israeli aid to the Gaza Strip. A senior government source close to the Foreign Ministry told Xinhua, however, that the EU "would continue to play a constructive role" in peacemaking and that they were not aware of the story or any change in the planned visit. |
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