Israel is making concessions and goodwill gestures toward the Palestinians in an effort to boost the prospects of Secretary of State John Kerry’s renewed peace push. Former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman disclosed some of them to Israeli radio on Monday in the context of discussing a building freeze in parts of Jerusalem:

“One should view this as a temporary hiatus,” Lieberman said. “We have an interest in [Secretary of State] Kerry succeeding. You don’t always have to be right; you can also be smart.” Lieberman added that “during [Joe] Biden’s last visit it was also not right to release the tender. There is a proportional and correct approach here.”

The idea and implementation of the de facto freeze predates Kerry’s efforts. The report that revealed the decision indicated that the government has not marketed any land for homes in eastern parts of the city, as compared to 200 homes a year in 2010 and 2011 and 1,500 units last year.

Lieberman’s comments come alongside additional reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered to release 50 Palestinian security prisoners as a goodwill gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas said no:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year offered to free 50 Palestinian security prisoners who have been held since before the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s, in a bid to get Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to come back to the peace table, The Times of Israel has learned. However, Abbas rejected the offer.

Secretary Kerry has meanwhile postponed a planned trip to the region, which would have been his fifth visit in four months.

Similar efforts to coax the Palestinians into negotiations have not been successful. In November, 2009, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu imposed a unilateral 10-month freeze on construction in the West Bank, but Palestinian leaders refused to negotiate seriously for the duration of the freeze.

[Photo: Gaujmalnieks / Wiki Commons]