Israel declares plans to build over 1,000 new settler homes
Ahead of the second round of peace talks with Palestinians under US mediation, Israel on Sunday announced plans to build nearly 1,200 Jewish settler homes in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
|Last Updated: Aug 11, 2013, 06:41 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Jerusalem: Ahead of the second round of peace talks with Palestinians under US mediation, Israel on Sunday announced plans to build nearly 1,200 Jewish settler homes in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Housing and Construction Minister, Uri Ariel announced tenders for 1,187 new Jewish homes in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, an issue considered the main roadblock by the Palestinian Authority in efforts to renew peace negotiations.
The move comes at a time when Israel is mulling over a goodwill gesture to rekindle peace talks involving the release of Palestinian prisoners held for decades.
Three days before the second round of peace talks scheduled to begin in Jerusalem under US mediation, Israel`s Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel today announced that new apartments in Jerusalem and the West Bank are up for sale.
According to the Housing and Construction ministry, 793 of the new homes will be in Jewish neighbourhoods of east Jerusalem.
It includes 400 new units in Gilo, 210 in Har Homa and 183 in Pisgat Ze`ev.
In addition, Israel plans to publish tenders for 394 new homes in West Bank settlement blocs that it believes it will retain in any final status agreement with the Palestinians.
This includes 117 new homes for the Ariel settlement, 149 for the Efrat settlement, 92 for the Ma`aleh Adumim settlement and 36 for the Beit Illit settlement.
"The Israeli government is working to reduce the cost of living in all parts of Israel. No country in the world receives orders about where it can and cannot build from other countries," Ariel said justifying the decision.
The announcement comes in advance of today`s vote by the Ministerial Committee on Prisoner Release to free 26 Palestinian prisoners with "blood on their hands", who have been jailed for over two decades.
Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority broke down in 2010 over Palestinian demands for a complete freeze on settlement activities in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
The two sides agreed to renew talks last month after US Secretary of State John Kerry`s shuttle diplomacy succeeded in convincing the two sides to begin parleys under US mediation.
Israel agreed last month in principle to release a total of 104 prisoners during the nine months of negotiations as a gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Analysts attribute the confusing signals to the composition of the Israeli coalition government which has overwhelming rightist leanings.
The announcement of new housing tenders is meant to appease the coalition`s rightist lobby.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.