21-03-10 Israel to U.S.:We won't back down

Israel has no intention of backing down in its argument with the United States over Israeli plans to build 1,600 apartments on disputed land in largely Arab East Jerusalem,Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday."Our policy regarding Jerusalem is the same as it was over the past 42 years.We have made it clear to the Americans that for us,building there is just like building in Tel Aviv," Netanyahu said. Israel captured the land in question in the spring of 1967,nearly 43 years ago.Netanyahu plans to leave for the United States on Sunday night and speak to the influential lobbying group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Monday.It is not clear if Netanyahu will meet President Obama on the trip.Netanyahu also said Israel favors direct talks with the Palestinians."We can raise any issue for negotiation and have made it clear we can do so better through direct talks.Only if you sit down and speak can you reach a real negotiation," he said.The two sides had agreed to indirect talks shortly before Israel announced that it plans to build some 1,600 housing units in a disputed part of East Jerusalem.The move sparked protests and strained the U.S. relationship with Israel,though U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the relationship is "deep and broad" as well as "strong and enduring."Clinton has said she expects to meet with Netanyahu during his trip to Washington.U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday the Middle East Quartet condemns Israel's construction plans.The Quartet comprises the four international entities seeking peace in the region:the United States,Russia,the European Union,and the United Nations.The Quartet's envoy,Tony Blair,said Friday that Israel was offering measures to kick-start the peace process.Blair's comments came after a meeting in Moscow,Russia,of the Quartet,which called for Israel and the Palestinians to have direct negotiations and reach a final settlement within two years.Netanyahu pledged a package of moves to boost confidence and get the peace process back on track,Blair said.Those measures include steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza,Blair said,but he did not specify whether the steps included prisoner releases.Complex negotiations about the proposal are now taking place, said Blair,a former British prime minister.