British Prime Minister Gordon Brown demanded Sunday that Israel cease settlement construction and promised more money to help the Palestinian economy. In his first trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories as Britain's leader, Brown repeatedly stressed that economics are key to Mideast peace, and said Israel should ease travel restrictions in the West Bank that have hindered commerce.
But his strongest words were reserved for the settlements: "I think the whole European Union is very clear on this matter: We want to see a freeze on settlements." "Settlement expansion has made peace harder to achieve. It erodes trust, it heightens Palestinian suffering, it makes the compromises Israel needs to make for peace more difficult," Brown said at a news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
According to the AP, Abbas went further in his criticism of Israel's construction in east Jerusalem and the adjacent West Bank, telling Brown that Israel lacks commitment to the "principles and spirit" of Mideast peace efforts. He singled out stepped-up construction of homes for Jews in areas of Jerusalem.
