Defense Minister Ehud Barak urged Israel's leftist camp to tone down its criticism of his recent decision to approve the construction of hundreds of housing units in the West Bank so as not to hurt the efforts to jumpstart the negotiations with the Palestinians.

Ynet learned Thursday that one of Barak's senior advisors told Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer that the approval of building permits for projects beyond the Green Line was actually meant to advance the peace process.

The advisor also made it clear to the Peace Now chief that the government was working intensely to advance the negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, adding that "there are people to work with" in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet.

According to Barak's aide, these "quiet" initiatives have "serious potential" and therefore require time to mature.