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Netanyahu to UN chief: Settlement freeze not a precondition

A settlement freeze should be discussed in negotiations with Palestinians, not as a precondition for such negotiations, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday.
"This issue is a part of the negotiations, it can't be a precondition," Netanyahu said.
"Settlements are not the crux of the conflict, but one of its outcomes. The conflict started 50 years before there were settlements," Netanyahu said.
Ban is in Israel as part of a tour of the Middle East.