Guardian: Israel to freeze settlements for tougher Iran sanctions
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
By: ICEJ News

Sarkozy ready for 'severe' new sanctions on Tehran

Israel has agreed to a partial settlement freeze in exchange for tougher sanctions on Iran that will target the oil and gas industry, according to British daily The Guardian, a move that US President Barack Obama hopes will allow him to announce the renewal of stagnant peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority by the end of September.

The US, Britain and France plan to push the UN Security Council to expand sanctions that would cripple Iran’s ability to develop oil and gas fields if Iran does not halt its renegade nuclear program by the start of the UN General Assembly opening and the G20 summit in late September. Russia and China are expected to resist the push for stiffer sanctions, but Western states can impose enough unilateral measures to severely impact Tehran.

In exchange for the tougher Western line on Iran, Israel is offering a nine-to-12-month moratorium on the expansion of settlement building in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem and homes that have already begun construction. One official told the Guardian, "The message is: Iran is an existential threat to Israel; settlements are not.”

In addition to the tighter sanctions on Iran, Israel hopes the temporary freeze will induce Arab states to take steps to normalize relations with the Jewish state, including the right for El Al to fly within Arab nations’ airspaces, establishment of trade office and embassies, and other diplomatic moves.  A few Arab nations such as Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco have tentatively agreed, but Saudi Arabia has refused. One official told the Guardian, "The Arabs are more difficult to pin down."

The plan holds the possibility for President Obama to push for a final peace deal within two years, especially in light of a recent proposal by Israeli President Shimon Peres to help form such a state in most of Judea and Samaria. But the Obama administration fears a split between Hamas in Gaza and Fatah in the West Bank will make it impossible to execute this plan.

In related news, French President Nicolas Sarkozy criticized Iranian leaders on Wednesday for their handling of contested elections and their nuclear program, and suggested it was time for "severe" new sanctions against Iran if it continues its nuclear activities. “These are the same leaders, in Iran, who tell us that the nuclear program is peaceful and that the elections were honest. Frankly, who believes them?" asked Sarkozy. He said France will support new sanctions and stronger inspection powers for the International Atomic Energy Agency if Iran does not suspend activities, which leading Western powers suspect are aimed at developing nuclear weapons. "There are more and more tests, there have never been so few negotiations," he added.