Regev: Halting natural growth would prejudge final status

Capital J

By Eric Fingerhut · July 2, 2009

Mark Regev unveiled what sounded like a new argument today on Israeli settlements -- halting natural growth would be "prejudging" final-status talks.

The spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a conference call arranged by The Israel Project that, as the prime minister has said, Israel won't build any new settlements or exprorpirate new land to build new settlements. But then he went on to note that the issue of settlements will eventually be determined in "final status" talks, and thus "neither side should be taking any steps" or changing any "realities" to "prejudge" that final outcome.

Thus, Regev said, there must be "provisions to allow normal life to continue" in current settlements, such as building a school or kindergarten if needed. Otherwise, one is "also prejudging final status by saying a community should die."

Regev did add later that "we're actually trying to find common ground" on settlements "so we can move on."

Asked about the prospects of the release of Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas more than three years ago, Regev said Israel believed it was "counterproductive" to speak publicly about the case, but asked "Where's the outrage?" about Shalit's treatment. He noted that the International Red Cross had never been allowed to visit with Shalit, and yet human rights groups such as Amnesty International have failed to sufficiently publicize that human rights violation.