Israel Agrees to Halt West Bank Settlement Construction for 10 Months

Israel has agreed to freeze construction in its controversial West Bank settlements for 10 months, the Associated Press reports. Palestinian authorities immediately rejected the concession because it did not include settlements in East Jerusalem.

The Israeli security council approved the freeze by a vote of 11-1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the "far-reaching and painful step" was designed to "encourage resumption of peace talks with our Palestinian neighbors." The Obama administration, which has criticized Israel for the settlement construction, praised the move as a helpful step toward solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for a full settlement freeze before he will participate in peace talks. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekrat said the announcement was nothing new, and brought up the 3,000 Israeli housing units already under construction in the West Bank. "This is not a moratorium," Erekrat said. "Unfortunately, we hoped he would commit to a real settlement freeze so we can resume negotiations and he had a choice between settlements and peace and he chose settlements."