Updated on
Summary Israel is calling for pullout from West Bank if peace efforts with Palestinians remain stalled.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak calls for uprooting dozens of settlements but says Israel would keep major settlement blocs, mostly near the frontiers of Israel proper, and maintain a military presence in an area along the border with Jordan.His remarks came in an interview published on Monday in the Israel Hayom newspaper.He says it would be preferable to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians but after four years of deadlock, he says Israel must take practical steps.The Palestinians reject Israeli moves. They seek all of the West Bank under a negotiated agreement.Baraks proposal is also likely to face heavy opposition from Israeli hardliners.
