The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will come under intense pressure today to extend his 10-month freeze on the building of settlements in the West Bank when he meets the US President, Barack Obama, in Washington. Despite the freeze, building has continued in the past seven months thanks to loopholes and violations. Preparations are under way for a construction boom this northern autumn.Mr Obama is expected to press hard for a continuation of the freeze despite warnings from the Israeli right that it would vigorously oppose such a move. Large settlement expansion would imperil the fragile ''proximity'' talks between Israel and the Palestinians. White House aides made it clear last week that Mr Obama wanted to ''capitalise on the momentum'' provided by the freeze.
The main goal of the White House meeting would be to move towards direct peace talks with the Palestinians, Mr Netanyahu said on Sunday. ''Whoever wants peace must hold direct talks for peace,'' he said, but he has given little indication what concessions he is prepared to make and said on Friday that his government's position on settlements had not changed.
The 10-month freeze, which excludes building in East Jerusalem, is due to end on September 25, about the same time as the period set for proximity talks. The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, set a building freeze as a precondition for entering talks.
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has urged Mr Netanyahu to resist pressure to extend the freeze, saying concessions to Palestinians have not brought results. At least two other members of Mr Netanyahu's inner cabinet of seven have made their position clear. ''We will renew building when the moratorium ends,'' Moshe Ya'alon said. ''There is no chance that Mr Netanyahu will extend the freeze,'' Benny Begin said.
Leaders of the settlers warned last week that they would launch an ''unprecedented struggle'' if they were not permitted to resume building. Settlers' organisations have advertised in the Israeli press, accusing Mr Netanyahu of ''trampling on'' the settlements.
Settlement Watch, an Israeli organisation, said preparations were being made for a massive construction boom this northern autumn on the assumption the freeze will be lifted. ''There are approved plans for between 40,000 and 50,000 housing units waiting,'' the organisation's director, Hagit Ofran, said. ''The only thing they need is for the mayor [of each settlement] to sign the permit. On 26 September, those mayors will have a big pile of permits on their desks.''