White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on Tuesday, August 18th, told reporters that President Barak Obama is �pleased with progress� following announcements from Jerusalem and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has frozen construction throughout Yehuda and Shomron through the end of 2009 at least.

Gibbs added ��so let me reiterate it � this is not � these are not steps for one side to take�, carefully adding the PA must also fulfill its obligations under the Roadmap and other agreements.

President Obama met on Tuesday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who America views as a major player in regional peace efforts. The American president had only words of praise for the Egyptian leader, who he labeled �a leader� and �a friend�, stating together they are working to obtain regional peace in the Mideast.

Suleiman Awad, a senior aide to Mubarak, released a statement that Obama is expected to release a draft of his peace plan in September. Regarding Israel�s announced decision to freeze �settlement construction�, the president stated he is �encouraged�.

True to form, Prime Minister Netanyahu is quoted as denying the media reports, stating there is no new settlement freeze, seeking to save face among his constituents, right-wingers, with officials releasing statements that there has been a de facto settlement freeze from months, a policy that was inherited from the former Olmert administration.

The PM�s Office released a statement challenging the accuracy of reports that a settlement freeze agreement was reached between the prime minister and Defense Minister (Labor) Ehud Barak and Housing Minister (Shas) Ariel Atias.

(Yechiel Spira � YWN Israel)