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Today, my cabinet authorized a policy of restraint regarding settlements which will include a suspension of new permits and new construction in Judea and Samaria for a period of ten months.
This is a far reaching and painful step. We authorized it because of our deep desire to move forward towards peace.
We hope that this decision will help launch meaningful negotiations to reach an historic peace agreement that will finally end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
We are committed to work closely with the United States to advance peace and security in our region.
We have been told by many of our friends that once Israel takes the first meaningful step towards peace, the Palestinians and the Arab world would respond in a positive virtual cycle for peace; it would be a cycle of goodwill.
Well, the government of Israel is taking a very big step towards peace today.
I hope that the Palestinians and the Arab world will seize this opportunity to work with us to forge a new beginning and a new future for our peoples, for our children and for theirs.
We have been calling to do this from the day that my government was sworn in eight months ago. I have called for direct negotiations with the Palestinians, and during that time, we have taken many concrete actions to improve the daily life of Palestinians and to create a climate in which political negotiations can proceed and have the best chance to succeed.
We have dismantled hundreds of roadblocks and checkpoints, extended the hours of operation on the Allenby Bridge and removed bureaucratic obstacles to Palestinian economic development.
There has a result to these actions. It is a surge, a boom, in the Palestinian economy. At the same time, the security environment has improved thanks to the Israeli Army and to our security forces, but also and importantly thanks to the efforts of the Palestinian security forces.
So we have an improvement of the economy, an improvement in security, and now we wish to add a movement towards peace. If we have this triangle: economy, security and peace, then peace can succeed.
I have already said that we will not build new settlements and that we would not expropriate additional land for existing settlements.
I said we would restrain settlement activity. That’s exactly what we decided to do today.
I promised to enable normal life for the three hundred thousand Israeli citizens, our brothers and sisters, who live in Judea and Samaria.
That is why this suspension will not affect the construction already underway.
It will not include the schools, the kindergartens, the synagogues and public buildings necessary for the continuation of normal life over the period of the suspension.
Obviously, any infrastructure that may be needed to protect our national security or to safeguard the lives of our citizens will also be provided during this time.
Regarding Jerusalem, our sovereign capital, our position is well known. We do not put any restrictions on building in our sovereign capital.
As always, we are committed to protect the freedom of worship for all faiths and to ensure equal and fair treatment for all the city’s residents, Jews and Arabs alike.
When the suspension ends, my government will revert to the policies of previous governments in relation to construction.
I want to say clearly to the Palestinians: Now is the time to begin negotiations. Now is the time to move forward towards peace. There is no more time to waste.
Israel today has taken a far reaching step towards peace. It’s time for the Palestinians to do the same.
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