GAZA, Nov 1 (KUNA) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday there were no American proposals to freeze settlement construction in the West Bank, noting that the political situation was in a stalemate status.
"The American administration is busy with the Congress elections so they will not discuss the settlement freeze now, and until now there is no realistic American proposal to end this crisis," Netanyahu said during a session of the Likud bloc members at the Knesset.
Netanyahu, quoted by the Yediot Ahronot website, said "The Palestinians' taking a unilateral step to declare the Palestinian state will make the two parties pay high prices and these steps will not solve the dispute." Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said last Thursday the Palestinians could submit a request to the UN and the US to recognize a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 war borders if the direct peace talks with the Israelis failed to resume. (end) mzt.bs KUNA 012207 Nov 10NNNN