Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to offer a halt in construction at West Bank settlements before the Annapolis conference. But, Gershom Gorenberg asks, will Condoleezza Rice hold him to his promise?
Still, there's another, more public sign that settlement is back on the American agenda: The Ha'aretz daily reported last week that under U.S. pressure, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would declare a freeze on settlement construction before the upcoming Annapolis peace parley, aimed at reviving the Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic process. Since Olmert doesn't want to discuss the core issues -- Jerusalem, refugees, borders -- at the conference, Washington wants him to signal to Palestinians and the Arab world that Israel really intends to give up occupied territory, or so anonymous Israeli government sources told Ha'aretz.If Olmert comes through, the consulate's settlement staffer will have a stunning career opportunity: making sure that settlement really freezes over. Let me suggest some guidelines for the diplomat in the field, and for his superiors in Washington. First: Ask where the freeze actually applies, and from what stage in construction it takes effect.
Read the rest (and comment) here. --The Editors
