rtokens: " We believe that the Israeli settlement policy in the occupied areas is an obstacle to the establishment of peace , " German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Erdmann said .
pos: NN VBZ VBN VBG IN DT NN IN .
tokens: Tension has been rising in the region since .
ltokens: But Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said the moves by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's government were tantamount to war .