Barak open on Israel settlement freeze pre US trip

Israel mulls limited settlement construction freeze * Barak to hold talks in U.S. with Middle East envoy * Settlement issue key to resumption of peace talks By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM, June 28 (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak left open the possibility on Sunday of a limited freeze on building in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. In comments to reporters, Barak stopped short of denying a report in Israel's biggest newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, that he would propose a three-month halt to construction starts in settlements but allow current building work to continue. "The matter mentioned in the headlines has not been finalised," Barak told reporters ahead of talks this week with U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell in the United States. "The issue of the settlements, as part of a broad range of... [read full story]                    

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