Bibi Forms Task Force To Monitor Settlement Freeze

By Barak Ravid (Haaretz) December 4, 2009

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed with Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Friday to assemble a task force to monitor the implementation of a construction freeze in West Bank settlements.

The team will be made up of Barak; Benny Begin, minister without portfolio; Zvi Hauser, the cabinet secretary; and Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot, the coordinator of government activities in the territories.

The move came after inspectors delivering freeze orders to the settlements had been met with acts of violence in recent days.

Netanyahu’s bureau relayed that the task force would examine how the moratorium could be implemented in full with the greatest possible consideration for the needs of the settlers.

The task force held its first meeting on Friday afternoon, and will continue its work on Sunday in order to find solutions that will ease life for settlers. The bureau added that the group’s goal will be to formulate a package of measures to ease life during the construction freeze.

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