Israel okays expansion of West Bank settlement

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved the construction of hundreds of new housing units at a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the housing ministry said on Sunday.

"After a series of consultations with the prime minister, Housing Minister Zeev Boim has approved the relaunching of construction in Givat Zeev," the ministry said in a statement.

The move was swiftly denounced as hampering efforts to advance faltering peace talks that Israelis and Palestinians revived to much fanfare under US stewardship in late November, but that have been stagnant since.

"We condemn in the harshest terms this decision," senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP.

"We consider that with this decision, Israel wants to demolish the peace process and demolish the international efforts to advance the peace process," he said.

"We ask the American administration to... pressure Israel to reverse this decision."

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[LeftCoast]

1. The continual expansion of the settlements makes it difficult to believe Israel wants peace

Can there really be any justification for this?

[papau]

2. "touching" Jerusalem to the NW and inside "security fence" - sounds like a statement being made

[Cant trust em]

3. I am really skeptical of west bank settlement

It's like they want to slowly creep in and make Palestinians uncomfortable so they'll just move.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. Bantustans

The map gradually changes until the palestinian areas are islands separated by walls and israeli settlements. Please note that there really is no place for the palestinains to go to.

[Cant trust em]

5. This is the way you annex land without military action

in the old days a country would just take over the other country. Now Israel knows that they'd be condemned internationally for that so they'll just sidle up and push out.

[Scurrilous]

6. Israel plans 750 new homes in east Jerusalem

<snip>

"Israel has announced plans to build more housing in areas claimed by Palestinians.

The housing minister said 750 new homes are now authorized in a Jewish neighborhood in east Jerusalem. Plans were revealed earlier to expand a nearby settlement in the West Bank.

Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, and oppose all Israeli construction there.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat is condemning the new construction plan, saying it undermines already troubled peace efforts."

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=7988439

[subsuelo]

7. this is evil.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

8. Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor "peace talks".... nt