Middle East Inside Line: Thomas Friedman Saves the Arab World

Sharmine Narwani, writing in The Huffington Post, takes apart Thomas Friedman's lecture to Arab peoples, "America vs. The Narrative":

Hard as I try, my mouth is fixed in an unattractive gape -- unable, it seems, to correct itself. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, in his usual clumsy attempts to suggest liberal sympathy while in fact propagating many, many Mideast myths, has caused this unfortunate disfigurement.

In his most recent column on Saturday, Friedman decided to help us understand a phenomenon sweeping the Arab and Muslim worlds, and was generous enough to coin an actual phrase to simplify this concept for the benefit of all Western civilization -- he calls it "The Narrative."

According to the New York Times columnist, "The Narrative is the cocktail of half-truths, propaganda and outright lies about America that have taken hold in the Arab-Muslim world since 9/11." Yes, he capitalizes it. Like "The Donald." Or "The Treaty of Versailles."

Kind of him to generalize this way. It would have been far more difficult for me if I actually had to think about the Arab-Muslim world as a diverse grouping representing real-life individuals from varying cultures, histories, religions, political persuasions and stages of social, political and economic development.

In his column, Friedman expands on his "The Narrative," saying these Arab-Muslims feel that "America has declared war on Islam, as part of a grand "American-Crusader-Zionist conspiracy" to keep Muslims down."

I don't suppose that our declaration of a grandiose "War on Terror" which refused to distinguish between extremist Salafi militants and legitimate resistance movements -- dubbed a "mistake" by no less a figure than British Foreign Secretary David Miliband earlier this year -- had anything to do with that perception?

Miliband wrote in the Guardian in January that the term "War on Terror" is "misleading and mistaken," and that efforts to "lump" extremists together had been counterproductive, playing "into the hands of those seeking to unify groups with little in common."

How positively Friedman-esque.

He might further note that the current Obama administration has also ceased to use such terms because they have been singularly divisive and entirely unsuccessful.

But I digress. My mandibular deformity was actually caused by Friedman's pronouncement that for at least two decades...

"U.S. foreign policy has been largely dedicated to rescuing Muslims or trying to help free them from tyranny."

Where does one begin, pray tell? Tyranny, might be a good starting point. Friedman may care to note that two of the most tyrannical governments in the Arab world -- Egypt and Saudi Arabia -- are, in fact the US's closest allies in the Arab Mideast. Egypt has been ruled with an iron fist by President Husni Mubarak for three decades, a man who hits slam-dunks every election year by garnering an eyebrow-raising 90% of the popular vote -- and whose prisons are notorious torture cells for political dissidents. The theocratic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia doesn't even try to feign democratic trappings. No elections, state-controlled media, zero tolerance for dissent -- women forbidden to drive by religious mandate.

So let's count the Egyptian and Saudi populations out from Friedman's description, because they probably don't feel like they have been "freed from tyranny." Let's instead turn our conversation to his "rescuing Muslims" scenario.

Hundreds of thousands of Arab and Muslim men, women and children ceased to exist after our onslaughts in Iraq and Afghanistan. US politicians cheered on Israeli troops as they decimated entire civilian neighborhoods in Lebanon in 2006 and in Gaza in 2009, destroyed non-military infrastructure vital to these areas and killed over a thousand innocent civilians in each place. Israel fired off one million cluster bomblets in Lebanon, most of these in the war's final three days while ceasefire agreements were being negotiated - knowing full well that 98% of victims are civilians, a third of them children. Says Friedman:

"Have no doubt: we punched a fist into the Arab/Muslim world after 9/11...primarily to destroy two tyrannical regimes -- the Taliban and the Baathists -- and to work with Afghans and Iraqis to build a different kind of politics. In the process, we did some stupid and bad things. But for every Abu Ghraib, our soldiers and diplomats perpetrated a million acts of kindness aimed at giving Arabs and Muslims a better chance to succeed with modernity and to elect their own leaders."

Forgive me, but is Friedman saying that our invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were about regime change? I foolishly thought we had sold the notion to the global community that this was about bringing Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda to justice for their role in 9-11. If this is so, Arabs and Muslims should forgive us for being liars as well.

"A million acts of kindness?" Name three.

And then Friedman posits that "most of the Muslims being killed today are being killed by jihadist suicide bombers in Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Indonesia..." Tell you what. Name three Americans who can read and do not know that the US government funded, groomed, armed and created the jihadists we are fighting in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq today.

"You need to tell us what it (Islam) is and show us how its positive interpretations are being promoted in your schools and mosques," Friedman urges Arabs and Muslims worldwide. Perhaps if we ceased our efforts to block the popular and balanced coverage of Al Jazeera's English channel from being broadcast on our television screens, we would get a clearer picture of the Muslim word, Tom.

Most galling, however, is Friedman's attempt to coin a phrase and insert it into our own nation's narrative. It smacks of Hasbara, a Hebrew term -- often interpreted as 'propaganda' -- used by Israel and its supporters to direct the Middle East debate and reshape public opinion abroad.

This is a matter of significant priority for the Israeli government, and it has at its disposal a veritable army of Hasbara activists in all the important international capitals and campuses. For an unusual -- meaning, available to the public -- example of Hasbara in action, one need only look to the 116-page document "The Israel Project's 2009 Global Language Dictionary" published on Newsweek's website, with talking points for Hasbara activists on everything from Iran's nuclear energy program to the Gaza War to illegal Settlements in the West Bank.

I can only imagine that Friedman wrote this column at 3 am one morning in a full-flegded Jerry McGuire moment that he will hopefully come to regret. He has no facts whatsoever to back up his assertions, and his only source for information on this supposedly widespread "The Narrative" that has infiltrated the collective Arab-Muslim brain is -- wait for it -- the claims of an anonymous "Jordanian-born counterterrorism expert."

Forgive me for saying this because I actually think well of Jordan and its resourceful citizens. But, the current Jordanian establishment, like many other Arab and Muslim elitists, is so far up the collective US, Israeli and Saudi arse, it would take major surgery to find it, let alone free it. Find some new friends, Friedman.

"Many Arab Muslims know that what ails their societies is more than the West, and that The Narrative is just an escape from looking honestly at themselves," concludes Friedman.

Tom, look honestly at yourself. Do you really think that if Arab-Muslim societies were free of external interference and able to elect their leaders in democratic elections, they would hold these alleged grievances?

I suggest that our double standards in dealing with the Middle East and our many, many failed policies there, including propping up brutal leaders to do our bidding, justifiably engenders resentment and anger, not just in the region, but globally too. You ought to have passed by Europe during Israel's Gazan military adventure earlier this year when hundreds of thousands of Europeans in all their major cities protested angrily against the IDF's killing spree. Then again, maybe we would have been forcibly subjected to another one of your columns on the Misinformed European Narrative.

The Latest from Iran (1 December): A Week of Expectation

2115 GMT: Hacking the State Media. HomyLafayette has the story of today's cyber-attack on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting:

At least a dozen web sites connected to the Islamic regime's radio and television broadcasters were hacked early this morning in an orchestrated operation. The attacked web sites include Radio Javan, Radio Payam, Radio Varzesh, Radio Tehran, Radio Qoran, the literary section of the state radio-television's web site, and the Jomeh Irani (NB Iranian Friday) program.

The hackers, calling themselves Y! Underground, substituted the homepages of the attacked web sites with the above image. The Farsi text reads, 'We will stand until the end.' The title of the pages became 'Defaced by Y! Underground.' Most of the web sites were quickly closed down by their technical staff....

Astonishingly, the literary section of IRIB's web site continues to show the image placed on it by the hackers.

2100 GMT: Ahh, This is Why Mahmoud's Upset. Full credit to Reuters for getting the possible story behind the Ahmadinejad warning to Russia tonight (see 2040 GMT). A "senior Russian diplomatic source" has said, "If there is a consensus on Iran sanctions, we will not stand aside."

This appears to be a continued Russian balancing act rather than a shift behind US-led sanctions. "Consensus" may mean that Russia will accept the measures only if China also is willing. And the source cautioned that economic punishment was a longer-term prospect: "We will be thinking about sanctions but this is not an issue of the next few hours or weeks. We would rather have Iran cooperating more openly and consistently with the IAEA and showing clear steps to lift concerns -- which are gaining greater foundation -- than introducing sanctions against Iran."

2040 GMT: More on Ahmadinejad's Defiance. If nothing else, these lines from the President's televised interview are attention-grabbing: ""[Western countries] need us more than we need them. It is psychological warfare and isolating Iran is impossible. Any finger which is about to pull the trigger will be cut off."

More significant may be Ahmadinejad's warning to Moscow to come back into line --- no sanctions, renewed co-operation --- with Tehran, as he criticised the Russian vote on the IAEA resolution criticising Iran's nuclear programme: "Russia made a mistake. It does not have an accurate analysis of today's world situation."

Iran: How Washington Views the Green Opposition — The Next Chapter
Video: The Bahari Interview on CNN (Part 2)
The Latest from Iran (30 November): Nuclear Distraction, Trashing the Greens?

1940 GMT: The Ahmadinejad Speech. After a 24-hour postponement, the President appeared on national television this evening. He offered, in the words of one viewer, "a geography lesson" for his tour of Latin America, comparing Iran favourably to its partners in Venezuela and Brazil.

Then, in the passage that Western media will pick up, Ahmadinejad declared, "Iran's nuclear issue has been resolved....We will hold no talks (with major powers) over this issue. There is no need for talks." He said that Tehran might allow inspectors to some sites or to none at all.

1715 GMT: And Today's Propaganda Warning. Islamic Republic News Agency, besides waving a finger at Hashemi Rafsanjani (1700 GMT) also gives a threatening push to Mir Hossein Mousavi. IRNA uses an interview with a Hojatoleslam to warn Mousavi that, if he keeps helping the enemies of Islam, he might suffer the fate of Abolhassan, Banisadr, the first President of the Islamic Republic who is now in exile in France.

1700 GMT: The Battle over Rafsanjani. Despite the explicit warning of Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani to back off, member of Parliament Ali Reza Zakani has maintained his assault on the family of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, declaring that Rafsanjani's son Mehdi Hashemi is still the subject of a criminal investigation.

1645 GMT: It's not only EA readers who have debating which way forward for the Iranian opposition. Grand Ayatollah Montazeri has replied to four questions about the Green movement.

1630 GMT: The Prison Doctor's Death. A twist in the case of Ramin Pourandarjan, the doctor at Kahrizak Prison who died in November. After claims by authorities that Pouranjdarjan committed suicide or was the victim of a heart attack, Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Doulatabadi now says that the doctor died of poisoning. Only two weeks ago Doulatabadi's office said Pourandarjan had not been poisoned.

1335 GMT: The Potential Significance of the British Sailor Story. Mr Smith cuts through the stories (see 1155 GMT) to get to the possible importance of the detention of the five British sailors:

As I suspected, the sailors were indeed taken by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps. Guess they want to boast their prowess in the Persian Gulf and warn about they will do inside or outside Iranian territorial waters in case of nuclear strike or even tougher sanctions.

That may be only the start of the matter, however. The IRGC could also use this case to flex their muscle against internal challengers. Conversely, other key figures, including President Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader, may have to consider their manoeuvres versus the Revolutionary Guard.

Which is not dissimilar to the "British sailor" incident of two years ago, when 15 of Her Majesty's finest ---military in this case --- were detained. That ended, of course, with the release of the 15, an accomplishment for which Ahmadinejad took credit (although Ali Larijani was a central figure in the negotiations).

Two years on, and in a very different political context, will the IRGC again step back?

1145 GMT: Another Distraction. Looks like the international press will also be mesmerised by the story of the five British (civilian) sailors who have been detained after straying into Iranian waters. The standard line taken by Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, chief of staff to President Ahmadinejad, "The judiciary will decide about the five ... naturally our measures will be hard and serious if we find out they had evil intentions," is racing across "Western" newspapers as an ominous sign.

The distraction extends to some rather fatuous speculation, as in this from The Guardian of London, "If the sailors arrested in the Persian Gulf are being punished for being British, Tehran's fear of the BBC could be a factor".

1015 GMT: Playing Down The Bluff. Less than 48 hours after shaking its fist with the "10 enrichment plants" declaration, the Iranian Government is edging away. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said this morning that there's not much to see here: If we do not get guarantees (for the delivery of the fuel), naturally we will have plans to move towards self-sufficiency. This is nothing unusual. Officials of some countries have rushed into adopting stances which may be indicative of the fact that they are concerned or angry." (CNN, incidentally, misses the story completely, distorting a general Mehmanparast statement ---"We will not do away with our rights" --- into "Iranian Legal Threat over Nuclear Plans.")

Meanwhile, something for the US to think about if it wants to push confrontation: a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman drew the line against further sanctions, "We should properly resolve this issue through dialogue. All parties should step up diplomatic efforts."

0715 GMT: Better Late than Never. The Associated Press has caught up with the politics of Iran's "10 enrichment plants" declaration, headlining, "Iran Nuke Plans Largely Bluster, Experts Say".

0710 GMT: Iran Contest of the Day. If the Supreme Leader's life was commemorated by Hollywood (see 0655 GMT), what would the title be?

0655 GMT: International news will be dominated today by President Obama's speech on US policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Indeed, it will be interesting to see if there is a breathing space for the Administration on its next steps towards Iran, as everyone in Washington --- including Congressmen and activists pressing for a cut-off of  talks and tougher sanctions --- switch their attention to the Af-Pak political and military corridor.

Which, of course, does not mean that life stops in Iran. Amidst the debate about the state of the Green Movement and its goals, the plans for the demonstrations on 16 Azar are taking shape. Revised routes have now been posted. Here, for example, are the paths of protests in Tehran:

1. Azadi Square - Revolution Square - Tehran University


2. Hafte-Tir Square - St., Karim Khan - Asr Square - Keshavarz Blvd - Street workers - Tehran University


3. Tehran University dormitory complex - North Kargar Ave - Tehran University


4. Amir Kabir University - Cross-Asr - Tehran University


5. Ferdowsi Square - Street Revolution - Tehran University.

There are notes of activities at universities, and you can even follow a second-by-second countdown clock.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Leader took on another enemy on Monday. He stared down "Hollywood" in a meeting with with artists and directors of the Iranian television series "Hazrat Yousuf," a story from the Koran. The challenge to "Western" film was another setpiece in Ayatollah Khamenei's campaign for cultural purity from the arts to the universities to the seminaries.

An Israel-Palestine Alternative? Swapping Land and People

Ray Hanania, Palestinian journalist, has brought a new perspectiveto the Palestinian-Israeli conflict with a proposal for a solution to the settlements and refugee problems.

Under Hanania's plan, the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank to be exchanged with Palestinian refugees will be negotiated between parties. (There are about 500,000 Israelis settlers living in the West Bank and more than 4 million Palestinians refugees.) For every settlement that Israel seeks to keep in the original West Bank, Israel will be asked to be prepared to give Palestine an equal amount of land mass. Even if all settlers are willing to return Israel, Palestinians will be funded through compensation committees to live in Palestine or another country. Both Israeli settlers who stay in Palestine and Palestinian refugees returning to Israel will have citizenship rights.

Israel: Tension between Settlers and Netanyahu over “Freeze” on West Bank Construction

The full transcript of Hanania's proposal:

PREAMBLE

The two major challenges facing Israelis and Palestinians in achieving peace are the issues of the Israeli settlements and settlers, and the Palestinian Refugees and land lost.

There are today about 500,000 Jewish Settlers from Israel living in 171
Settlements and 102 Outposts built since 1967 in the West Bank.

The Palestinian refugee population was originally estimated by the United
Nations at 750,000 and has increased as a result of war, occupation and
population growth, to approximately 4.6 million. The camps are spread
throughout the Middle East.

This plan proposes a solution based on compensation, an exchange of land, an exchange of people and an exchange of apologies.

OVERVIEW

As a Palestinian, it is not my place to reason and explain Israel's
settlement policies. I can only speak from a Palestinian perspective on the quagmires and offer my beliefs.

As a Palestinian, I believe the Palestinian refugees and their descendants have an absolute right to return to their original homes and lands that were vacated by them either by military force or as a result of fear or coercion based on the International Rule of Law, on principle, on morality and on human dignity. Under normal circumstances, this issue would have been resolved in the early stages of the conflict had it been properly addressed by Israel and the Arab World.

But it was not addressed. And despite laws and years of struggle, no refugee uuhas been returned to their homes or lands. In fact, the refugees have remained in limbo suffering in despair and exploited by all as political pawns.

I recognize the sacrifices the Palestinian refugees have made over the years by remaining in the refugee camps as a reminder to a world that refused to recognize the existence of Palestinians as a people and that the Palestinian people do exist. We are a people. We are Palestinian. To have had them assimilate into Arab World and societies around the world would have conveniently erased the need for justice and resolution of this situation.

But today is not 1948. Lives have come and gone. Events have occurred and circumstances on the landscape of the conflict have changed dramatically. Their homes and villages simply no longer exist.

There are millions of Jews who have immigrated to Israel from other
countries who now live in homes once occupied by Palestinians either
voluntarily or fleeing persecution. Both have seen new generations arrive
and old pass. Lives have been built and we cannot simply tear them down.

As Palestinians , we have a moral responsibility to tell the Palestinian
Refugees the truth. We cannot tell the Palestinian refugees with a certain heart that they will return to their original homes and their lands under the current situation nor through conflict. Despite all the Rules of Law and principles of conflict. The tragedy is that the Arab World has failed to prosecute that Right of Return to achieve a legal resolution.

The Palestinian Refugees have carried the bulk of the burden because of our failure. The Palestinian Refugees are being made to pay the price for the failure of the World to resolve their disputes and conflicts. They are being made to suffer. They live in destitution with no real hope, festering in anger knowing that they have been abandoned and that even their "champions" are merely exploiting their suffering for their own personal activist gains.

The choice is simple: Either they remain in the destitution of those camps; or, they be given a realistic alternative to live their lives in dignity, in pride and with real hope for a future. Their children deserve that chance at life.

If we are ready to accept peace based on compromise and accept two-states as the solution, then it is a fundamental and unavoidable necessity to accept compromise on the Right of Return.

We will achieve compromise on these thorny issues through compensation, land exchange and people exchange.

HOW IT WORKS

I-COMPENSATION FUND

A Compensation Fund must be established to compensate them for their lose. The fund can be used to assist the Palestinian Refugees to resettle in new homes in a) Palestine b) the Arab World c) in another country outside of the Middle East of their choosing.

II-ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY ISRAEL

Israel must acknowledge its role in creating the tragedy by establishing a "Jewish" State that by its principles excluded non-Jewish rights. Israel must acknowledge it prevented the refugees from returning and in many cases forced them to leave. Rather than acknowledge the suffering of the refugees, Israel has adopted law after law to prevent their return, while offering Jews in other lands to "return" to Israel.

Israel's Government must acknowledge its role - not total responsibility,
but its role.

Israel's Government must be prepared to assert the highest level of
Jewishness if in fact Israel is truly a Jewish State, to seek atonement and offer a genuine apology to the Palestinian Refugees.

This apology is in the context also of mutual apologies that both sides must be prepared to make and is articulated in my Campaign Platform already.

Apologizing for the tragedies and sufferings that we have both brought upon each other is essential to reconciliation. Peace is about reconciliation and the ability, more importantly, for Israelis and Palestinians to demonstrate compassion and humanity for their fellow man.

III-JEWISH REFUGEES FROM ARAB COUNTRIES

The conflict has also created circumstances in which Jews from Arab
countries either fled or were forced out of their homes and lands.

A fund should be created to help compensate Jews for their lost lands and
properties, too.

It is essential that the Arab World also offer its apology in the same
context to the Jews who now reside in Israel for losing their lands and
homes.

The Arab World, and Israel, must be prepared to allow Palestinians and Jews to travel to and from their countries.

IV-SETTLER-REFUGEE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

Once the compensation funds are established, we need to interlink the
resolution of the refugees with the issue of the land and settlements and
citizenship rights.

We need to be imaginative as well as to be ready to speak the truths that we have avoided in the past. It's not easy to embrace truth and to accept
reality over demands based on law. Time has caused great changes. But, if we accept compromise, two-states and peace, we must be ready, on both sides, to accept compromise.

Israel must be ready to compromise on the settlements and the Palestinians must be ready to compromise on the refugees.

In exchange for compromise on the Right of Return of the Palestinian
Refugees, Israel must be ready to freeze all settlement activity and
withdraw from settlements. How many settlements should it withdraw from?

The details can and should be decided by Israel and Palestinians through
negotiations. But, we can accept a framework for that resolution and create an atmosphere of peace through which resolution of these details can be facilitated.

V-COMPONENTS

PART 1: LAND SWAP

For every settlement that Israel seeks to keep in the original West Bank,
Israel must be prepared to give Palestine and equal amount of land mass from Israel contiguous with the West Bank. Israel must trade dunam-for-dunam land it keeps, surrendering an equal area of land to Palestine.

PART 2: PEOPLE SWAP

For every Jewish settler living in the settlements that Israel keeps, Israel must be ready to permit that number of Palestinian Refugees to return to Israel, (who wish to return).

Israel will provide those Palestinians compensation through the Compensation Fund to build homes, and land on which to build their homes in Israel. Those Palestinian refugees would be given full rights of Israeli citizenship, but would enter Israel through its immigration procedures.

This exchange plan must be completed in five years, with 50 percent of the population allowed to enter Israel within two years of the program
beginning.

They would be treated the same way as Jews who return to Israel and be given the same benefits and compensation and support from the Israeli government.

If Israel seeks to retain all of the settlements, then Israel must be
prepared to allow 462,000 Palestinian refugees to return to live in Israel, should they chose to do so, as Israeli citizens.

The remaining Palestinian refugees would be allowed to return, through the Compensation Fund, to the new Palestine State, or be permitted to travel to any country that wishes to accept them. The choice is up to them.

The Arab World would be required to provide a home and land in their
countries for every Palestinian seeking resettlement in this plan.
Israel can reduce the number of Refugees it accepts by returning settlers
and disbanding existing settlements. The final number is up to them.

PART 3: ISRAELI SETTLERS

Israeli settlers will be given the choice to remain in settlements returned to Palestine, or accept compensation and return to Israel.

Settlers in settlements returned to Palestine would be given the choice to become Palestinian citizens. Their rights would be fully respected and
safeguarded. Settlers would have to apply to the State of Palestine for
citizenship in the same way that Palestinian Refugees would be required to meet Israeli immigration standards.

Those Israeli settlers who choose to remain in their homes in areas in the West Bank not annexed by Israel will become citizens of Palestine. Both Palestine and Israel will allow dual citizenship to accommodate Palestinians returning to Israel and Israelis remaining in Palestine. Both these categories of people would have no special privileges, and would be subject to the laws of their resident country.

PART 4: REFUGEE CAMPS

The existing Palestinian Refugee camps could remain but the refugees who take compensation would be urged to use that funding to rebuild their homes in or outside of the refugee camps. Each of the Arab countries would be required to accept and incorporate those refugees who either do not return to Israel under the Settler-Refugee Exchange Program or return to Palestine into their country. Those Palestinians who wish to remain would be given full citizenship in the country of their refugee settlement.

UNRWA, which now manages the affairs of the Palestinian Refugees, would supervise this process with support from Israel, the State of Palestine, the Arab and Islamic World, and the United States and the Western World.

Eventually, UNRWA would be dissolved when the last refugee is settled.

VI-CONCLUSION

For Palestinians, there is no alternative to resolve the issue of Israeli
Settlements in a satisfactory manner.

For Israelis, there is no alternative to resolve the issue of Palestinian
Refugees in a satisfactory manner.

This plan offers a creative compromise and in the context of compromise, all of the unaddressed issues can be resolved if Israelis and Palestinians work together towards peace.

Those Palestinians who insist that there is no compromise on the Right of Return are rejecting compromise and peace. Those Israelis who insist there is no compromise on the settlements are rejecting compromise and peace.

I believe that if fairly presented to the Palestinian Refugees and to the
Israeli settlers, this plan can work.

If we believe in peace based on compromise, we must be ready to embrace genuine compromise that is fair, realistic and that can work.

Israel: Tension between Settlers and Netanyahu over "Freeze" on West Bank Construction

Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 10-month construction freeze in West Bank settlements decision, Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered his ministry to urgently recruit and train construction supervisors on Sunday in order to enforce the construction freeze. There are currently 14 supervisors in the West Bank and 40 are to be ready within two weeks.

Barak added a comment on the significance of the "freeze":

This step was not carried out in the Olmert government or in the Sharon government, not in my government and not in Yitzhak Rabin's government either. The real significance is that for the first time, we are suspending all new construction for an extended period and therefore giving peace negotiations a chance.

The road is long and there are difficult obstacles ahead, but we must make every effort to overcome them. Israel's main interest is the advancement of security and the political process - first on the Palestinian track and at the right moment on the Syrian track.

Israeli settlers in the West Bank are furious over the declaration. Settler leaders announced on Monday that they would prevent Israeli inspectors from blocking the construction of new buildings. A pro-Israeli settler group, the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, on Monday appealed to the High Court of Justice to put a stop to the government's plans.

In the wake of growing criticisms and pressure, Netanyahu is expected to meet with the heads of West Bank regional authorities on Tuesday.