[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: A word of warning:

When "one source" reports something there are a number of possibilities:

#1. The "one source" is someone either serving in or somehow associated with
the Netanyahu administration lobbying for his position by going to the press
and claiming that it is already policy.

#2. The "one source" is floating a trial balloon:
aa. To genuinely see what reaction it gets.
or
bb. To generate a negative reaction that can then be presented to the
Americans.

#3. The "one source" is simply providing the reporter a finalized policy.

There is even the possibility that the "one source" is a journalist floating
his own idea - but it wouldn't be fair to Efrat Weiss to suggest that this
is a possibility.]

Settlers say 'old Bibi' is back
Agreement reached between PM, defense and housing ministers to freeze
building starts in settlements blocs and east Jerusalem until early 2010
enrages settler leaders. 'If Netanyahu implements Livni's policy -
government's days are numbered,' Ariel mayor warns
Efrat Weiss YNET Published: 08.18.09, 11:12 / Israel News
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3763520,00.html

Settler leaders were furious Tuesday morning after learning of the agreement
to freeze building starts in the territories, including in the settlement
blocs and east Jerusalem, as reported by Ynet.

"If the prime minister implements the policy of (Opposition Chairwoman)
Tzipi Livni, (former Defense Minister) Amir Peretz and Talia Sasson (author
of government report on illegal outposts) - this government's days are
numbered," warned Ariel Mayor Ron Nachman.

Ynet learned that according to the agreement between Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Housing Minister Ariel Atias, the
construction freeze will continue until the beginning of 2010, according to
one source.

Atias of Shas, who is acting against the position of his party's chairman,
Interior Minister Eli Yishai, defined the move as the "waiting policy," and
suggested presenting it to special US envoy George Mitchell, in order to
prove Israel's willingness to advance the peace process. Atias believes
there is no reason to anger the Americans at this time.

Minister Yishai and fellow ministers Moshe Ya'alon, Daniel Hershkowitz and
Yuli Edelstein toured West Bank outposts on Monday. Yishai stated that the
tour was not to illegal outposts but "to legal settlements built by the
governments of Israel."

Ministers' visit to Homesh (Photo: Dudi Vaaknin)

According to the Ariel mayor, "It is inconceivable that four ministers
visited Judea and Samaria - and not the settlement blocs, but those
communities defined by the left-wing and legal elements as 'unauthorized
outposts,' when in fact these are legal communities established by the
government - and at the same time the housing minister decides to freeze a
plan to issue bids and turns all of the settlement blocs into unauthorized
outposts.

"This makes no sense at all," Nachman added.

'New policy stems from small politics'

The "waiting policy" is expected to help the prime minister during his short
visit to Europe next Monday, where he will meet with envoy Mitchell. The two
are expected to discuss the construction freeze in the West Bank, with
Defense Minister Barak calling for a three to six-month halt, while Mitchell
demands more than a year.

Shomron Regional Council head Gershon Mesika told Ynet, "The truth has been
exposed. Slowly but clearly, the real face of those persecuting the
settlement is revealed. The superiority of the rule of law is at its peak,
but in practice they are motivated only by small politics.

"Those attempting to harm the outposts and construction with weak excuses of
rule of law, are now being exposed in their nakedness abandoning all the
construction in Judea and Samaria and even in Jerusalem. It has been proven
that those who act against the outposts are really aiming to hurt Jerusalem.
We shall not accept this distorted situation."

The Yesha Council also called on ministers and Knesset members to act
immediately to thwart "the dangerous move" of freezing construction bids.

"This is a dangerous move by the prime minister, defense minister and
housing minister - in complete disregard of the Israeli voter's decision and
the prime minister's explicit commitments before the elections. This is a
capitulation to everything the American administration has been dictating."

The Binyamin Settlers Committee said in a statement, "It's disappointing to
discover that once again we elected Netanyahu and got the old Bibi - the one
who talks passionately about the rock of our existence, but capitulates with
panic in the face of any American pressure."