This Is Spokesmanship?

Can't they get their act together? A spokesperson shouldn't have to be corrected so much.

As reported:-

A spokesman for Netanyahu, Nir Hefetz, said earlier Friday that the prime minister had reached a "series of understandings" on policy toward Palestinians in talks with U.S. President Barack Obama .

"The construction policy will not change, but Israel is prepared to make additional steps in order to advance peace talks," Hefetz said.

Soon after Hefetz made the comments, the government issued a clarification, however: Any understanding with the U.S. did not mean American backing for Israeli construction in east Jerusalem.

When Hefetz said understandings had been reached, he was "articulating the Israeli position; he is not articulating a joint position", spokesman Mark Regev said.

A senior official at the prime minister's bureau said Thursday that it was unlikley the forum would reach a decision in its first meeting on the issue.

"It will probably take two or three meetings before any kind of consensus is reached between the seven over the American demands," the official said

and another report:

Netanyahu's spokesman Nir Hafetz on Friday morning said that the prime minister reached understandings with Obama regarding continued construction in east Jerusalem.

In an interview with Army Radio, he added that Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Netanyahu agree on these issues and assessed that the inner cabinet will support the understandings reached in Washington.

"There are several steps that the Americans would like to see Israel take in order to restart the peace process. We returned from the US with the understanding that on one hand, the construction policy in Jerusalem will remain unchanged, and on the other hand, Israel is prepared to make gestures in order to resume the peace process," Hefetz said.

The main point of contention between Netanyahu and Obama, Hefetz confirmed, was the US demand that Israel extend the ten-month West Bank building moratorium.

Netanyahu's spokesman rejected reports that Obama demanded that the Palestinian Authority be given control over east Jerusalem's Abu Dis neighborhood.

You'll recall, in connection with this

The main point of contention between Netanyahu and Obama, Hefetz confirmed, was the US demand that Israel extend the ten-month West Bank building moratorium.

that I made the point in November that if Netanyahu presumes that if the Arabs come to the negotiating table and after the ten months that he'll be allowed to lift the construction suspension he's fooling himself.


And this report is a bit weird.