Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told his cabinet today that building in existing settlements could continue despite U.S. pressure to halt all settlement construction and expansion. Even though the Israeli government agreed to dismantle some illegal outposts following the meeting between Netanyahu and President Barack Obama, many members of the Likud-led coalition expressed a furor over any unilateral Israeli concessions regarding the development of settlements. Last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton clarified the U.S. stance that all forms of construction must cease immediately, including permitting natural growth in existing settlements. Netanyahu has repeatedly maintained the need to permit natural growth in settlements, telling his cabinet,
“We do not intend to build any new settlements, but it wouldn’t be fair to ban construction to meet the needs of natural growth or for there to be an outright construction ban.”
