US welcomes Israel's move halting settlements construction

Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell speaks about  Israel's announcement of a 10-month halt in construction in its  West Bank settlements during a news conference at the State  Department in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Moments after Israel announced its decision, the Obama administration in Washington welcomed the move.

George Mitchell, US Middle East Envoy, said, "While they fall short of a full freeze, we believe the steps announced by the prime minister are significant and could have substantial impact on the ground. For the first time ever an Israeli government will stop housing approvals and all new construction of housing units and related infrastructure in West Bank settlements. That's a positive development."

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Related:

Israel says it will halt construction in the West Bank for 10 months ---- in a bid to restart peace talks. But, Palestinians have rejected the freeze as insufficient, because it does not include East Jerusalem. Full story >>