[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: The idea behind making the proximity talks cover
core issues is that it provides an opportunity for the Obama team to inject
their own proposals on core issues.]

Netanyahu bows to U.S. demands ahead of Washington trip

By Barak Ravid, Natasha Mozgovaya and Jack Khoury Haaretz Last update -
00:06 21/03/2010
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1157740.html

PM agrees to suspend building in east Jerusalem as aides scramble to arrange
Obama meeting.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has bowed to U.S demands and promised
goodwill gestures toward the Palestinian Authority ahead of his departure
for Washington Sunday night, Haaretz has learned.

While Netanyahu has not agreed to stop building in east Jerusalem, he has
promised to suspend it.

Other gestures include alleviating the blockade on the Gaza Strip for the
first time since last winter's military offensive.

Netanyahu also agreed to discuss the core issues in the dispute - including
borders, refugees, Jerusalem, security arrangements, water and settlements -
in revived U.S.-mediated talks.

The prime minister was responding to demands made by U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton during a telephone call on Thursday night. Clinton said on
Friday that Netanyahu's reply "was useful and productive, and we're
continuing our discussions with him and his government".

Netanyahu refused to revoke a controversial building project in Ramat Shlomo
or freeze construction in east Jerusalem. However, sources in Jerusalem said
he would keep the plan "on hold" - at least until a construction freeze in
the rest of the West Bank comes to end in September.

He also promised a better oversight system to prevent embarrassing incidents
such as the announcement of plans for 1,600 new Jewish homes beyond the
Green Line in east Jerusalem, which triggered the crisis with the U.S.
during Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Israel two weeks ago.

Sources in Netanyahu's office said the prime minister's gestures include
allowing the UN to transport construction materials to Gaza to rebuild
sewerage systems, a flour mill and 150 apartments in Khan Yunis.

Netanyahu also agreed to release hundreds of Fatah-affiliated prisoners as a
gesture to PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

Netanyahu is scheduled to leave for Washington Sunday night with Defense
Minister Ehud Barak to attend the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington.
Opposition leader MK Tzipi Livni and Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau will
also attend the convention.

Netanyahu is slated to address the convention tomorrow at 7 P.M. (Israel
time), then meet Clinton, who is also to speak at the AIPAC gathering. No
meeting has been set yet between Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama,
but officials believe such a meeting will take place on Tuesday in the White
House.

Israel's Washington envoy Michael Oren said yesterday that outsiders cannot
force peace on the Middle East, and any final settlement will have to be
initiated by the Israelis and Palestinians themselves.

In an interview with U.S. television station PBS, Oren said Israel was not
interested in having the White House present its own peace plan. Any attempt
by the United States to impose a peace deal would be like "forcing somebody
to fall in love," he said.

Asked if Israel wanted Washington to present its own peace plan, Oren said:

"No. I think peace has to be made between two people sitting across a table.
America can help facilitate that interaction."

Meanwhile, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said yesterday after getting a closer look
at Israeli enclaves in the West Bank that Israeli settlement building
anywhere on occupied land is illegal and must be stopped.

"The world has condemned Israel's settlement plans in East Jerusalem," Ban
told a news conference after his brief tour.

"Let us be clear. All settlement activity is illegal anywhere in occupied
territory and must be stopped."