JERUSALEM, April 12 (UPI) -- Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu may withdraw Israeli army troops from the West Bank to block a Palestinian statehood declaration, a report says.
The move is in a framework of measures currently being considered by Netanyahu to stave off recognition by the United Nations General Assembly in September, Haaretz reported Tuesday.
Source close to the prime minister told the newspaper three steps are currently being examined although evacuation of West Bank settlements is not currently an option.
The first step calls for Israeli forces to withdraw from the West Bank and security responsibility to be handed over to the Palestinian Authority.
The second step is to convene an international conference in which Israel and the Palestinian Authority would participate and call for a resumption of peace talks.
The third step is to garner the support of the United States, European Union, Australia and other countries to prevent the General Assembly from announcing recognition of a Palestinian state, the sources told the newspaper.
On Monday at a meeting with European Union envoys in Jerusalem, Netanyahu expressed doubt about chances of renewing the talks.
"But two questions should be asked: the first, whether it is at all possible to resume negotiations with the Palestinians. The second question is what actions can be undertaken if resumption of negotiations proves impossible?" the paper quoted Netanyahu as saying.
