What 'Bush Doctrine'?

US Pushes Israel on West Bank Settlers

The U.S. is pressuring Israel to meet a long-standing obligation to freeze all West Bank settlement construction ahead of a high-profile Mideast conference, rejecting Israel's stance that it be allowed to continue building in existing communities, Israeli officials said Sunday.

The officials said that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Cabinet would discuss the settlement issue on Monday, though it remained unclear whether the ministers would endorse any changes in policy.

The U.S. has been urging Israel to make a series of gestures to the Palestinians ahead of the Mideast peace conference, which is expected to take place next week in Annapolis, Md.

How about holding the 'Palestinians' accountable for any number of violations of previous agreements?

Key Arab governments will announce Friday if they will attend the conference, said an Arab League official Sunday. Diplomats familiar with the governments' deliberations hinted that despite reservations about the conference, they would probably attend.

The nations' ministers, however, will insist that a final statement from the Annapolis meeting include an Israeli agreement to a Saudi-sponsored land-for-peace deal proposed by Arabs in 2002, said another diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions.

Land for more dead Jews. What a novel concept!

The American proposals have included an Israeli freeze on West Bank settlement construction and a large-scale release of Palestinian prisoners. Israel holds roughly 9,000 Palestinian prisoners.

At the upcoming summit, Israel and the Palestinians hope to announce a formal resumption of peace talks, which broke down in violence seven years ago. However, preparations have run into trouble, with the sides unable to agree on a joint blueprint for peace they had hoped to present to the conference.

There's more on the Administration's willingness to reward terrorism.

Our friend Carl in Jerusalem discusses whether we're witnessing Annapolis crumbling?

James "Fuck the Jews" Baker was unavailable for comment.