A multinational force would be set up in the Palestinian state, and Israel would maintain two early warning stations in the West Bank for 15 years.
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During a press briefing, Mark C. Toner – deputy spokesman for the U.S. Department of State – said the expansion of Israeli settlements is opposed by the U.S. government and could corrode peace efforts between Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
Settlers say they are returning to properties that belonged to Jews before they fled the area following deadly Arab riots in 1929.
Describing it as “only a handful of homes”, Haaretz stated that the plan calls for building the constructions in an area where the Mitkanim military base now stands, located between the “Jewish Neighborhood” (Avraham Avinu colony) and the Shuhada Street. Since September, Palestinians have killed 34 Israelis in shootings, stabbings and vehicular attacks.
After two decades of failed peace efforts, and almost a year of low-level violence, distrust is strong. Israel says most of the dead were attackers, though the Palestinians have challenged numerous Israeli accounts.
Ninety percent of Arab-Israelis polled expressed support for the deal.
Hermann said she was surprised by the higher fear level on the Israeli side, and cited a number of factors.
The Palestinian think tank and the Israel Democracy Institute, a leading research center in Jerusalem, surveyed 1,184 Israelis and 1,270 Palestinians, revealing mistrust and fear of the other on both sides, along with some hope for flexibility.
Despite the continued deadlock, a new Israeli-Palestinian poll released Monday showed that a narrow majority on both sides still favor a peace settlement that would establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
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One in five Israeli Jews and one in three Palestinians wants a one-state solution, meaning a single state for Israelis and Palestinians rather than an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on such recognition reportedly helped scupper the last round of American-lead Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in 2013-2014. The poll surveyed some 1,200 people on each side and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
