Friday, January 9, 1998

After mtgs. with Israeli DM Mordechai, Infrastructures M Sharon, U.S. special envoy Ross returns to Washington having made no progress. Ignoring U.S. pressure to curb settlements, speed up FRD, Israeli Housing Min. confirms plans to build 30,000 new homes in the West Bank, with a capacity to double the settler population, by 2020; Netanyahu says that U.S. cannot expect Israel to keep to its commitment to make 3 FRDs when PA allegedly has not kept its commitments, again proposes 1 limited FRD. (MM 1/9; MA, YA 1/9 in WNC 1/12; ITV 1/9, ITV, SA 1/10, JT 1/11 in WNC 1/13; WT 1/10; MM 1/12; MEI 1/16; PR 1/23)