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Israel approves plans to expand settlements
Officials said on Sunday that Israel had approved plans to expand four Jewish settlements in the West Bank.Three of the settlements slated for expansion lie within areas that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hopes to incorporate within Israels final borders. The United States has not endorsed Olmerts plan. Olmerts plan to withdraw from dozens of isolated settlements in the West Bank while beefing up large settlement blocs is expected to be on the agenda at Tuesdays meeting with President Bush at the White House. Othniel Schneller, a lawmaker with the ruling Kadima Party, said Israels Defence Ministry signed orders months ago to expand the boundaries of Beitar Illit and Givat Zeev, near Jerusalem, and of Oranit and Maskiot. Israels Defence Ministry said former Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz signed the expansion orders. Israels new defence minister, Amir Peretz, who took office this month, cannot rescind the orders, defence officials said. But they said Peretz, the dovish leader of the Labour Party who has criticised such construction, would consider changing settlement policy. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat urged Peretz to halt the construction. This Israeli government should stop this, not approve this, he said. This act of expanding settlements is a choice for more obstacles and more problems and more violence. The new expansion includes converting Maskiot, an army outpost in the Jordan River Valley, into a residential community, said Dubi Tal, a settler leader in the area. Posted by: ryuge 2006-05-22 |
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