31.   The Israeli government maintained that it had not encouraged Soviet Jews to settle in the occupied territories.

32.   The election was viewed by some commentators as a trial contest by the Israelis, to establish a precedent for wider municipal elections throughout the occupied territories.

33.   The co-ordinator of Israeli government activities in the occupied territories, Maj.-Gen.

34.   He also called on Israel to freeze its policy of building settlements in the occupied territories.

35.   Israel continued to reject requests from the United States to freeze its policy of settlement in the occupied territories.

36.   The Israeli delegation refused to discuss the controversial issue of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.

37.   Both parties argued that the discussions in Washington presaged territorial concessions and endangered Jewish settlers in the occupied territories.

38.   In order to ensure the support of the nationalist parties Shamir increased settlement funding, including infrastructural development of the occupied territories.

39.   Based in the occupied territories, it was created by former members of the Palestine Communist Party.

40.   As on previous occasions, the talks faltered over Israeli intransigence on the controversial issue of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.