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Israeli FM pushes for new settlement construction
By MATTI FRIEDMAN
Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel's hard-line foreign minister said Monday that his party will try to block any extension of Israel's settlement slowdown, a move that could derail the recently launched Mideast peace negotiations.

Avigdor Lieberman said the Israeli government must keep its promise to voters that the 10-month slowdown, declared last November under U.S. pressure in order to draw the Palestinians to the negotiating table, will end as scheduled at the end of the month.

The Sept. 26 deadline is a challenge for the fragile talks launched in Washington last week. The Palestinians say they will quit the talks if settlement construction accelerates, but not ending the slowdown could potentially bring down the Israeli government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to say how he will handle the deadline.

"A promise is a promise," Lieberman told Israel Radio. "We will not agree to any extension."

"I promise that if there's a proposal that we don't accept it will not pass," he added.

Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu party is a key member of Israel's governing coalition, which is led by Netanyahu's Likud party....................>>>>...................>>>>...............http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/s.....amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT