Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met settler leaders on Thursday but failed to ease anger over his cabinet's decision to temporarily cut back on new Jewish construction in the West Bank.

Following the tense meeting in Netanyahu's Tel Aviv office, the settler leaders vowed to continue to oppose last week's decision to impose a 10-month moratorium on issuing building permits for new Jewish homes in the West Bank, outside annexed Arab east Jerusalem.

"Nothing came out of the meeting," settler leader Pinhas Walerstein told AFP afterwards.

According to a government statement, Netanyahu said "there is no going back on the decision," but reiterated construction would resume once the moratorium expires, urging settlers' "patience" in order to avoid a crisis.

NONE "Bibi promised us that at the end of the 10 months, construction will resume, but I seriously doubt it," Walerstein said, using Netanyahu's nickname.

During the meeting, the settler leaders presented numerous complaints on the implementation of the decision, which the prime minister said he would look into and raise with Defence Minister Ehud Barak, the statement said.

"The decision is not easy for you as it is not easy for me, but it is the optimal action for Israel to take under the current conditions and in the challenges facing Israel," Netanyahu was quoted as saying.

Netanyahu said the move was aimed at assisting so-far frustrated US efforts to kickstart the Middle East peace process, which has been on ice for almost a year.

"This move makes it clear that Israel is striving for true peace, while the Palestinians refuse to engage in peace talks."

Total settlement freeze

The Palestinians have rejected the move and reiterated their demand for a total settlement freeze in all occupied Palestinian territory.

The moratorium does not include east Jerusalem or the 3,000 homes already under construction in the West Bank, where more than 300,000 Jews reside, or public buildings including synagogues and schools.

"We have to get through the period together. We should not create an atmosphere of crisis. We should work out the problems together," Netanyahu told the settlers.

NONE "You have the right to protest and demonstrate but ultimately you have to respect the decision taken by the government according to law."

Walerstein refused to accept Netanyahu's announcement, saying "the mere decision to suspend construction will have very serious consequences on the future of the settlement movement.

"We will continue our activities" of recent days against the government's attempts to enforce the moratorium, vowed Walerstein.

Right-wing activists in several settlements continued on Thursday to scuffle with police forces accompanying government inspectors seeking to enforce the moratorium across the West Bank.

-AFP