Obama adviser extends White House invitation to Israeli prime minister
By APWednesday, May 26, 2010
Israeli prime minister to visit White House
JERUSALEM — President Barack Obama’s chief of staff has invited the Israeli prime minister to the White House next week.
Israeli officials say the meeting will take place on Tuesday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wraps up a previously scheduled visit to Canada.
White House chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel extended the invitation during a meeting with the Israeli leader in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Emmanuel is in the country on a private visit.
Emmanuel said the talks would focus on “shared security interests,” a likely reference to the Iranian nuclear issue.
The two leaders are also likely to discuss Israel-Palestinian peace efforts. The sides recently launched U.S.-mediated indirect peace talks.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli official says the government will compensate West Bank settlements and regional councils for damages incurred because of the slowdown in settlement construction.
Interior Ministry spokesman Roi Lachmanovich says the state will spend around $10 million in total.
But he says settlements will be partially hurt because they won’t receive revenues from families who would have come to live there — had the construction proceeded.
This payment will be in addition to the compensation granted to individuals harmed by the slowdown.
The government declared a 10-month slowdown in West Bank in November under heavy pressure from the Obama administration.
Palestinians oppose all Israeli construction in the West Bank. They want the territory for their future Palestinian state.
