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Mideast: Israel defies US demand to freeze settlements
[ADN Kronos] Israel said on Thursday it will press ahead with housing construction in West Bank settlements despite a surprisingly strong US demand that it cease building activity. US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Wednesday the US wanted an end to all settlement construction - including "natural growth." It looks like not only the bad guyz have assessed B.O.'s administration as being toothless. She was referring to Israel's insistence that new construction is necessary to accommodate the growth of families already living in existing settlements. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev responded to the demand by saying that some construction would continue in existing settlements. "What're y'gonna do about it? Invade us?" However, Regev said Israel pledged not to build any new settlements and to remove unauthorised Jewish outposts in the Palestinian territories. "The fate of existing settlements will be determined in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians," said Regev, quoted by Israeli daily Haaretz. "It won't be dictated, no matter how organized your community is." Clinton had reiterated that a freeze on the construction of illegal Jewish settlements was a key step in reaching a future peace accord between Israelis and Palestinians. "He (US president Barack Obama) wants to see a stop to settlements -- not some settlements, not outposts, not 'natural growth' exceptions," Clinton said after meeting her Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul Gheit.  "We think it is in the best interests [of the peace process] that settlement expansion cease," Clinton said.Israeli rights group Peace Now, said in a report earlier this year that 285,000 settlers live east of the 1967 Green Line that separates Israel from the West Bank. The figures exclude East Jerusalem settlers which number over 191,000. East Jerusalem is the city Palestinians want as the capital of their future state. Israel's construction of illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has increased distrust of Israel's intentions among Palestinian negotiators. Things were just peachy keen before. Israeli settlements are considered illegal under international law and are a major source of friction between Israelis and Palestinians. They are one of the most contentious issues in the long-running conflict. Posted by: Fred 2009-05-29 |
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