Ha'aretz (Israél) / Reuters : "Quartet to urge Israel: Freeze all settlement activity"

Quartet to urge Israel: Freeze all settlement activity

By Haaretz Service and Reuters

Tags: Iran, G8, Italy, Israel News

The Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators will urge Israel on Friday to freeze all settlement activity, including "natural growth," a European
diplomat said.

The Quartet, which includes the United Nations, European Union, United States and Russia, will make the call in a statement after its first formal meeting since U.S. President Barack Obama took office in January.

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The world's richest nations earlier on Friday called on Israel to halt construction in West Bank settlements, including that which Jerusalem seeks to pursue to accomodate natural growth.

The Group of Eight powers also deplored violence in Iran after its disputed election on Friday and urged Tehran to settle the crisis soon through democratic dialogue, according to the final draft statement seen
by Reuters.

"We deplore post-electoral violence which led to the loss of lives of Iranian civilians and urge Iran to respect fundamental human rights including freedom of expression...," G8 foreign ministers said in the statement.

On the Middle East, the G8 called on all parties to "re-enter direct negotiations on all standing issues consistent with the roadmap" and it called for a freeze in Jewish settlement construction on the occupied West Bank.

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http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1095913.html