| We really did see this coming, it's been telegraphed for weeks. |
Israel announced plans on Friday to build 1,400 new homes in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territory the Palestinians want for their future state.
The announcement is likely to anger Palestinians
| They'll roll they eyes, grimace fiercely, and make faces in response... |
and could cast a shadow on US-led peace efforts. IsraelÂ’s housing ministry said 800 new houses will be built in the West Bank and 600 in east Jerusalem.
| Israel is never giving back East Jerusalem. Never. They might as well build all the housing there and persuade the Paleos to move on. |
The statement had been expected after Israel released 26 long-serving Palestinian prisoners in late December, part of a deal made last summer when Palestinian-Israeli peace talks resumed. It was the third of four pledged prisoner releases.
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rdeneh, condemned the announcement, saying it undermines the “American efforts aimed at creating a peace track toward a two-state solution.” The announcement was expected earlier in January but was postponed, apparently to avoid any coinciding with last week’s visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry. While Israel is not obligated to halt construction under the peace talks, Kerry has urged restraint and said the building raises questions about Israel’s commitment. |