US bribing Israel with war planes to freeze West Bank construction

RT - The US is desperately trying to revive the stalled Middle East peace talks by enticing Israel to extend its construction moratorium in the occupied Palestinian territories.

­Washington has put 20 stealth fighter jets worth $3 billion on the table, as well as a pledge to fight any international resolutions against Israel. In exchange, it wants Israel to halt construction in the West Bank for three months, with a US promise not to ask to prolong it further.

Palestinians are criticizing the plan, saying the proposed freeze will not apply to East Jerusalem.

The recent round of US-brokered peace talks became stuck three weeks after they began, after Israel reaffirmed its commitment to continue building settlements in Palestinian areas.

Israel and America are blackmailing the world over the Israeli settlement activities on the Palestinian Territory, which have been characterized by the world as illegal, insists Dr. Hassan Abu Libdeh, Palestinian Autonomy Economics Minister and Chairman of the Palestinian campaign against settlements products.

“This three month moratorium is a very serious breach of the neutrality of the American government and very serious breach to the international community,” he said, adding that “Even if they have this moratorium it will not be for the whole Palestinian territory and nobody knows what will happen at the end of the three months."

Russia and the EU have equal stakes in the Middle East peace process and they should not accept being continuously sidelined by Americans and Israelis.

Commenting on the US promise to veto any UN resolutions against Israel, Hassan Abu Libdeh said that “With all of these guarantees, with all these goodies and promises from the American administration why should Israel should come to any terms concerning peace and why should Israel feel that they are obligated to the international community if they cannot be punished or prosecuted, or cannot be held accountable in the House of Nations?”