BICOM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted yesterday that he is planning gestures towards the Palestinians in next few days, and reiterated his desire to return to direct talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He told the Knesset, “In the next few days, I plan to take additional steps to further encourage development and prosperity among the Palestinians.” Speaking in the context of the events in Egypt and elsewhere, he added, “I hope that President Abbas will regard the changes taking place in the region as an opportunity to sit down with us and discuss peace without preconditions.”

It is believed that Netanyahu has recently been considering  a package of measures to assist the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and that these may be timed to pre-empt a Quartet meeting in Munich on 5 February. The gestures are reported to include further easing of movement and access in the Palestinian Territories, giving the Palestinian Authority control of land required for the new Palestinian West Bank town of Rawabi, and the approval of infrastructure projects. Since taking office in 2009, Netanyahu has been an advocate of promoting economic development in the West Bank, and has pursued a policy of lifting restrictions on movement.