*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) TEL AVIV, Israel - September 22, 2009: Israel has reportedly agreed to consider a partial and temporary freeze on West Bank settlement construction in 
exchange for normalizing relations with certain North African and Arab countries.
exchange for normalizing relations with certain North African and Arab countries. Citing Israeli officials, the Washington Times reported Tuesday that Tel Aviv has agreed to a partial freeze of settlement construction for six to nine months but still wants to build more than 2,500 new housing units.
In exchange, certain Arab and North African states have privately assured US special Mideast envoy George Mitchell that they would grant over-flight rights to Israeli airliners, open interest sections in Israel, and end a travel ban on Israelis, the report quoted a US official as saying.
Currently Israeli airliners flying to destinations in the Far East must make a wide detour to avoid flying over countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Afghanistan.
Saudi Arabia, however, has refused to grant these assurances, insisting a peace agreement must first be signed.
The report comes just ahead of a tripartite meeting between US President Barack Obama, acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. 
Palestinian laborers work on a new housing project at the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim in the West Bank on September 22, 2009. US President Barack Obama will use his diplomatic leverage to get Israeli and Palestinian leaders together in the same room, but the White House has no illusions of an imminent breakthrough. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas for the first time since taking office in March at the three-way encounter, at a time when peace moves are stalled, despite intense US efforts.
On Monday, Netanyahu's media adviser, Nir Hefetz, told Israeli radio that the premier would not support a settlement freeze, because he considers the settlements to be a "Zionist enterprise."
Based on the report, Netanyahu considers moving forward with 2,500 to 3,000 housing units already approved. He is also seeking to exempt East Jerusalem from the freeze.
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