Report on Israeli Settlement in the Occupied Territories

Demands for a freeze in the expansion of Israeli civilian settlements located in territories occupied by Israel in June 1967 are now at the center stage of Arab-Israeli diplomacy. The peace initiative promoted earlier this year by the Egyptian and Jordanian governments and the report of a presidentially appointed commission headed by former senator George Mitchell and endorsed by all parties have placed a settlement freeze at the heart of their recommendations for stabilizing deteriorating relations between Israel and the Palestinians.

The following text is excerpted from the Report of the Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee, headed by former senator George J. Mitchell, issued on April 30, 2001.