Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Calls for Israeli Freeze

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gave a political boost to the Palestinians on Tuesday, backing their claim to east Jerusalem as a capital and their demand that Israel must freeze all settlement construction before peace talks can resume.

Medvedev delivered the supportive message during his first visit as president to the Palestinian areas, at a time of corrosive deadlock in U.S.-led Mideast peace efforts. While practically on Israel's doorstep, he did not visit Israel because of a strike by Israeli diplomats.

The Palestinians, who say they are ready for independence, hailed the visit as a chance to showcase their progress toward building their state.

The ancient town of Jericho was decked out in Russian and Palestinian flags, and black-clad Palestinian troops with assault rifles lined the streets. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Medvedev were received by an honor guard in a red carpet ceremony.

Russia is a member of the so-called Quartet of Mideast peace makers, along with the U.S., European Union and United Nations. The Quartet is to meet in Germany next month to find a way out of the current quagmire.

Israeli-Palestinian negotiations briefly resumed in September, but broke down after a slowdown on settlement construction expired. Abbas says he won't negotiate unless Israel halts all construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, captured lands sought by the Palestinians for their state.

Israel has rejected calls to renew the freeze, and the Obama administration has not presented a plan for bringing the sides together again.

In this vacuum, Medvedev affirmed the Palestinians' right to a state, with east Jerusalem as a capital, though he did not say what he believed the borders of the state should be.

In recent weeks, several South American countries have taken such a step, recognizing a Palestinian state in the We