Israel OKs new West Bank construction

(NECN/ABC) – In the Jewish settlements of the occupied West Bank today, there is not much sign of a settlement freeze. The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an approval for another 455 new homes here in the settlements, on top of the 2,500 already started. For months, the U.S. and President Obama’s special envoy, George Mitchell, have been calling for the building work to stop. They figure if it does, the Palestinians and Arab states will start talking peace. But Prime Minister Netanyahu has been a reluctant partner, and the right wing ministers round his cabinet table are dead set against a freeze. Netanyahu, however, is under intense U.S. and international pressure to deliver, and despite his political problems, he is promising a temporary moratorium of several months. But only if he gets something in return from the Palestinians and Arab states – so called gestures of normalization. But they have said all along – no talks or gestures – unless there’s a real freeze and they’re not happy with the latest plans for yet more Israeli building. President Obama’s envoy George Mitchell is coming back later this week to try and finally close a deal on settlements. It won’t be the settlement freeze he and the President set out to achieve, but it’s probably the only one this Israeli government is capable or willing to give them – it’s not clear if it will be enough to relaunch the peace process. ABC’s Simon McGregor-Wood reports.