JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his first public offer Monday to renew a moratorium on settlement construction, a move Palestinians disparaged but that showed some willingness to allow the U.S.-launched peace talks to move forward.
Netanyahu offered a short-term freeze on new construction if Palestinians agree formally to accept Israel as a Jewish state. Palestinians swiftly rejected Netanyahu’s deal, saying the Israeli leader was “playing games.”
The offer appeared to be the opening gambit in what could be weeks of haggling over the terms for extending the moratorium, which expired on Sept. 26. It followed Sunday’s Israeli Cabinet decision to require all non-Jewish immigrants to declare their loyalty to Israel.
Israeli news media have speculated that the United States is promising incentives, including security guarantees, if Netanyahu reinstates some form of the settlement freeze.
The daily newspaper Maariv reported that Netanyahu was discussing the U.S. incentives with his Cabinet.
